Unicorns & Angels
by 739678
Summary: AU after 5x13 New Directions. Kurt and Blaine are finally together in New York. An overheard conversation leads to an acceleration of their plans. One night however, an event takes place which changes the lives of everyone around them forever.
1. Prologue

**Of Unicorns and Angels**

The rain fell incessantly from the grim grey sky, the wind whipping it up to blow in the faces of those assembled round the raw hole in the green swathe of Lima Cemetery. It made it harder to distinguish who actually crying and whose face was merely wet from the rain. Some were grateful for that, in others the wracking sobs made their condition painfully obvious.

It would have been easier to bear if there hadn't been someone to blame. There were those who had said "If only Puck hadn't sent that text"; "If only Blaine hadn't wanted to be the perfect gentleman"; "If only Kurt hadn't kissed him." The world is full of "If only…" It didn't alter the facts. It didn't stop them standing here on an unseasonably cold, bleak day, getting soaked to the skin. It wouldn't bring them back - nothing could.

All anyone could think was how quickly joy and happiness could turn into mind numbing grief. A grief so deep that it seemed impossible that they could ever escape it. All some of them wanted to do was to jump into the grave with them, so that their pain could be over…..


	2. Late September

**Late September**

On a warm night in late summer, New York was one of the best places to be in the world. And as Kurt Hummel surveyed the scene before him, he would not have wished to be anywhere else. All of his closest friends, his father and stepmother, old school teachers, college tutors and even his boss from Vogue were in the room, there for only one reason. To celebrate that tomorrow he would marry the love of his life. As of tomorrow, he would sign his name as Kurt Hummel-Anderson. And he could not be happier.

It had all been a bit of a whirlwind if he was honest. Blaine had no sooner graduated from McKinley High than he had left Ohio and moved into the loft in Bushwick. Having him in his bed every night was wonderful, though both Rachel and Santana had insisted on being bought good earplugs. Little did they know that most nights, just spooning together was more than enough. They had talked of marriage, but both had agreed that a long engagement was no bad thing. After all, it wasn't that long ago that the incident had occurred which had split them up temporarily. And although all was forgiven, it was still fresh in both their minds.

Things might have stayed like that had they not overheard the conversation between two drag artistes. It had been Santana's idea that they should go to the Gay Pride parade - ironically, neither Kurt or Blaine had any real desire to go. They didn't really have much choice between Santana's insistence and Brittany's wish for her unicorn's to come with them. It had turned out to be a great day in the end, until they had heard those words. That a right wing group was about to lodge a complaint which if carried would see gay marriage in New York banned once again.

They had presented themselves at City Hall to apply for their licence first thing the following morning.

As it happened the complaint was thrown out and so the law did not change. But they had the licence and it seemed a shame to waste it. Admittedly it had taken a while to convince Burt. In the end, Carole had merely pointed out to him that it was going to happen someday, and that whilst they were young, they seemed set on each other and had their heads screwed on, so why not now? Burt could find little to argue with on that. And there they were, chatting to Will and Emma Schuester. Blaine's parents were not expected - and as usual, his brother Cooper was running behind schedule.

It was fortunate that Kurt had been planning his wedding for years, as they had given themselves less than 3 months to get everything ready. There had to be several compromises on the way. In their dreams, they would have had their pre-wedding dinner in a grand restaurant, served by smart waiters in tails; dined on lobster whilst being serenaded by the stars of Broadway. When it came down to it, neither Kurt or Blaine was prepared to rob the necessary bank. Santana had half jokingly suggested asking Puck to do it for them. Instead, they had laid on a generous finger buffet at the Spotlight Diner. That way, they got themselves a small staff discount.

When it came to what to wear, both of them were unanimous on the full formal dress suit. They had rejected suggestions of themes (firmly in the case of the Hobbits and Unicorns one from Brittany and Santana) and specified smart casual for their guests. Both had fallen in love with a suit designed by McQueen; and wept when they had seen the price tag. It helped though to have connections - when Isabelle heard, she somehow managed to obtain a set of tailors patterns. Kurt and Blaine would marry in McQueen design suits that they had burnt the midnight oil sewing themselves.

Then there had been the thorny issue of attendants. So many people to choose from, although Kurt's ideal choice of best man was unavailable. In the end they had decided to go for two groomsmen and three grooms maids each. For Kurt, these were Puck (Finn's best friend, therefore the obvious substitute), Mike, Rachel, Mercedes and Santana: for Blaine, Sam, Artie, Brittany, Tina and Quinn. For ushers, the only option was the Warblers. All had accepted at once. It had resulted in even more sewing, but to both grooms it was worth it. The sheer happiness that seemed to radiate from the preparations made all of those involved feel better than they had for a long time. Only the absence of Finn shed any shadow over the event.

As Blaine joined Kurt in surveying the scene that night their joy was clear for all to see. Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail. It would be the perfect wedding. But as the poet would say, the best laid plans often go wrong in ways that nobody could hope to predict. Only one person in the happy throng had an inkling of what was about to befall. Unluckily, no attention was paid to Brittany when she disclosed the contents of her dream. Mainly because Santana was too afraid that what she was being told might turn out to be true.

Amidst all the smiles that night, only Brittany stood out. Because although she smiled, it was a sad one, here eyes betraying an inner turmoil, a heartache which no-one had expected. Most of the guests either did not see or chose to ignore her expression. One person couldn't. When it came to Brittany, Santana could never ignore her - she loved her too much to do so. And so, manoeuvring her into a quiet corner, she asked what was wrong. She could never have anticipated what she heard.

"I had a bad dream last night," she began. "I was in a beautiful place and I could see two unicorns. But they weren't happy. There was a brown eyed one that was crying; all of its left side was broken. The other unicorn also looked so sad and lost. It had blue eyes and it was very pale. When I went over to touch it, my hand went right through it as if it wasn't there." Brittany paused. "What if those unicorns were my unicorns?" She glanced over to Kurt and Blaine. "If they were, then something bad is going to happen. And it can't. My unicorns mustn't be hurt, they are too happy."

Over the years, Santana had heard Brittany say many thing that other thought were daft. It would be easy to dismiss this as yet another, she thought. But in the back of her mind, a small voice said, what if she is right? What if the dream is a premonition? What if all of this is about to go horribly wrong? Not going to happen, said a much more strident voice. These two are crazy for each other. Maybe she saw how they will feel tonight.

Blaine Anderson you see was a perfectly dapper young gentleman, with a great belief in the rules and traditions of marriage. As such, there was no way he could stay with Kurt the night before their wedding. He had booked a hotel room, which he would share with his brother, a few blocks away from the diner. The plan had been that he and Cooper would walk there, leaving Kurt to take a cab with Sam and the girls back to Bushwick. A simple, safe plan. Only Cooper had not arrived - his flight had been delayed on his way from L.A. Kurt was not happy about a slightly tipsy Blaine walking alone through the streets of New York. The new plan now involved Kurt walking Blaine to his hotel, then getting a cab there back to Bushwick, via the Spotlight Diner. A simple solution to the issue.

When news of this change of plan came to the ears of Santana, she had to admit that her blood ran cold for a few seconds. Because Kurt was not exactly sober. A small voice bothered her again; dismissed again by the strident one - the streets would still be busy, it was hardly any distance, and in any case, Blaine was being the perfect gentleman - there would be no wankiness on the way to the hotel. All the same she thought, damn Cooper for putting them in this situation. Worse still, she had to tell Brittany, and she was not going to be happy at all, given her worries.

And indeed she was not. Frantic was the best word to describe her emotional state when Santana told her. It was all she could do to stop her charging over to them, flinging herself at their feet and pleading with them not to go. Irrational actions on Brittany's part were not new, but tonight was not the place for them. Already, Rachel and Sam had spotted that something was wrong. It took all of Santana's powers of persuasion to get them to back off and go back to the party. As far as she was concerned, Kurt and Blaine did not need to know about the dream.

In hindsight, Santana would wonder if things might have been different if she had let Brittany make a scene. If she had told Rachel and Sam. If she had convinced them to take a cab from the diner to Bushwick, dropping Blaine off on the way. She could of course, never know. Once a course has been set, we cannot reverse out of it if it all turns out wrong. The thoughts would still disturb Santana's sleep for a long time after, and give her feelings of guilt from which she would never fully escape.

When Kurt announced that he and Blaine were leaving, the room erupted. It was after all still early by some people's standards. A campaign to persuade them to stay was begun by Puck, gathering support from many of the people in the room, especially Brittany. It was to no avail, however, and soon hugs and best wishes were being dispensed. As expected, Santana had to prise Brittany off them, and hold her tightly in her arms as she sobbed. Her upset had an effect on Kurt and Blaine too - indeed it almost convinced them to stay at least until she had calmed down. Almost. After all, she would be ok with Santana. So with a wave and to a chorus of cheers, the happy couple set off.

The party started to wind down after that. There were still drinks to be finished, food to eat, but now that the reason for the party was gone, it had changed. It was still a good chance to enjoy a reunion of old friends and acquaintances. And to have a little bit of mischief. Egged on by Mike and Jake, Puck sent a text message to Blaine - using Santana's phone. It was in her style, short and to the point, reading thus - No getting wanky! Three little words. Did those three words lead to the subsequent events? Possibly. No-one would ever be completely sure. They certainly did not help.

When Santana discovered what Puck had done on her phone, she reacted as expected. Furiously. But still able to see the funny side. The lack of an instant response did not worry her. Kurt would no doubt give her the sharp edge of his tongue on the way home. And then he would laugh. His happiness would overpower him. Tomorrow was the culmination of years of plans, dreams and hopes - the day that he married his soulmate.

And then her phone rang, Blaine. She answered with an apology - then froze, his words filling her with horror.

"_Hurt. Kurt hurt. Need ambulance. Four blocks. Kurt. Hurts. Help. Hurts.__"_


	3. Falling Apart

If there was one thing that defined Blaine Anderson, it was that for 99% of the time, he behaved as the perfect dapper gentleman. Ok, so there had been some aberrations, mainly after too much alcohol (and of course Eli C), but in general he was, everyone agreed, the all round good guy. And at that precise moment, he was one of the two happiest guys on the planet. Kurt Hummel was the love of his life, the soul that completed him. When he had said yes to his proposal on the stairs at Dalton, Blaine's life had from then on one reason, on purpose - to be Blaine Hummel-Anderson, lover, friend, soulmate and husband. On that September night, he was on the home stretch. This time tomorrow they would be legally joined forever.

As they strode down the busy Manhattan street towards the hotel, he glanced over at his fiancé. He was as beautiful as ever - his hair perfect; his eyes the most wonderful shade of blue, his cheeks slightly flushed from the wine they had been 'forced' to drink. And all mine, thought Blaine, for the rest of my life. The buzzing of his cell phone disturbed his reverie. He read the text and chortled. So typical of Santana. He held it out for Kurt to read - he raised his eyebrows, then smiled.

"Does a kiss count as wanky?" Kurt asked.

Without waiting for an answer, he planted one on Blaine's cheek.

In retrospect, Kurt should have known better. New York was nowhere near as intolerant as Ohio, but there were still moments when it was better not to be too demonstrative. Unfortunately, this was one of them. Because no sooner had he removed his lips from Blaine's cheek than a voice from behind said "Fucking fags. That will not do. That will not do at all."

Blaine went cold. Thoughts ran through his head. The first was Sadie Hawkins. The next run. The next save Kurt. He knew what to expect next. Unless somehow he could bluff his way out of this.

"Sorry guys. My man here is as drunk as hell. It was his bachelor party tonight - just walking him home before he marries his girl Rachel in the morning."

And thank the Lord, Kurt does not disagree. It would have worked if their attackers hadn't known exactly who they were. And that it had been their joint bachelor party. By then it was too late to try and run. They had been backed into an alley, out of sight of the traffic and between two deserted office blocks. No passers by. And as Blaine saw the light glint on the metal baseball bat, no hope of escape.

Blaine could only place himself in front of a tearful Kurt and try his best to protect him. As the first blow from the bat hit him on his left side, extreme pain blotted out all his previous joy; all he could hear now were Kurt's screams. And he was falling, the pain in his leg from the second blow indicating only one thing - broken bones. And that Kurt was now vulnerable. His hysterical begging was the last thing Blaine heard as he lost consciousness. That, and the sound of his breaking heart.

Kurt had frozen as Blaine had desperately tried to get them out of trouble. All he could think was that he had to get out of there, but there was no way he was leaving without Blaine. He had sobered up so quickly that all he felt now was nausea. Because he knew what would happen if Blaine could not convince them to let them go. When the bat started to swing, Kurt could only scream as he saw Blaine, his Blaine, crumple and bleed. Then he fell to the ground, and Kurt knew what was coming next. The bat swung towards him. He felt the breath being forced out of him as a blow smashed into his chest. He fell to the ground behind Blaine, then saw the bat swinging towards his face. And then, for Kurt, the world went black.

A woozy Blaine regained his consciousness. He could hear his assailants laughter. Their steps approaching him again. And then, the still night was pierced by the siren of a police car. Running footfalls. Then silence. No cops running up. And worse still, no Kurt. Not even a groan. And Blaine once again felt so cold. He tried to shout, but his voice was a mere croak. Move. He had to move. Lifting his head was a slow, painful manoeuvre. More painful yet what he saw. A slumped form. Blood. Inches away, but in the circumstances, it might as well have been miles. He had to get there. No choice. Overcome pain. Drag his broken body to the side of the man he loved. And get help. Ambulance. Save Kurt. His phone. By some miracle undamaged in his pocket. Still showing that text. And that wonderful word Call. So Blaine made the call. Croaked his message to a shocked Santana. Hung up. And started to drag himself over to Kurt. His left side hurt like hell. His right did not. He used it, and every ounce of strength he could summon to close the gap. To clasp the outstretched hand of the love of his life. To see the shallow breaths moving his chest. To feel his warmth. To his horror, he found that he could not look at Kurt's face. It was no longer the face he remembered and loved.

Santana Lopez had never been given to hysteria. In a crisis, she aimed to stay cool and calm. Blaine's call nearly ended that. It was his rasping voice, his stilted words. And that phrase "Kurt hurt. Hurts." She swore loudly in Spanish as Blaine hung up, and saw immediately that Sam and Rachel were staring at her. There was nothing else for it.

"Rachel, call an ambulance. Four blocks towards the hotel. Something has happened to Kurt and Blaine. Then tell Burt. Now! Sam, come with me" She looked at the stunned faces in front of her. "Now guys, now! This is serious."

With that she was off, running out of the door, Sam right behind her as Rachel dialled 911.

All Santana could think of was running; to get to them; to help. As Sam moved up beside her she saw the worry in his face. The stress, And his equal need to get there. Ignoring the angry car horns as they raced over the roads - one block, two, three. Four. Now to find them. Glancing up alleyways and into corners. Ignore the tiredness. And then Sam shouted. Dashed into a dark alley. And Santana found herself hesitating at the entrance. She could see two forms lying on the ground. Neither moving. Around them a growing pool of blood. And hear Brittany's words about two unicorns echoing in her head.

Sam Evans was Blaine's best friend. His crush. And it didn't bother Sam in the slightest. He had also been Kurt's crush, so it had made perfect sense for him to be best man at their wedding. He had stood by Blaine during the trauma of his break up with Kurt and had assisted in the process of bringing them back together. In return, they had opened their doors to him in New York. Life had been looking up until now. Now it was plunging into the stuff of nightmares. Santana's instruction to run with her, to help his friends had been accepted without hesitation, no questions asked. But as he had run, he had felt his blood run colder and colder. As he glanced up the alley and saw them, his heart felt as if it had stopped.

He didn't want to run towards them. He didn't want to see, but he had no option. It could be life or death. And he could not live with himself if his fear lead to death. So he entered, and ran up to the two slumped bodies. Nausea threatened to overcome him at first sight. Then he saw Blaine's eyes open. His lips move. Heard him moan "Sam, help Kurt." To be frank, Kurt looked to be the much worse off of the two of them. Much worse off by a long way.

Santana had by now composed herself. Her phone was ringing. Rachel. The ambulance needed a better location, but she, Burt, Puck and Carole were on their way. Santana swore, dialled 911 and gave them the exact location. Then with a deep breath, stepped into a scene from hell. Blaine looked even smaller than usual and was drifting in and out of consciousness. And Kurt….words could not accurately describe how he looked. No way could Rachel see him like that when she appeared. A hysterically screaming Rachel was the last thing they needed.

"Kurt has a pulse, but it's weak" said Sam in low tones. "We need the paramedics now."

Santana could only nod. She could feel blood beginning to stain her dress as she knelt by Blaine - Sam was splattered with it. She could also begin to feel a terrible amount of fear.

A burst of swearing from the top of the alley announced the arrival of Puck. It came again as he ran up behind Santana.

"Rachel?"

"Right behind me, with Burt and Carole."

"Stop her coming in Puck, she'll freak if she sees this."

Puck darted back up the alley, just in time to stop Rachel coming in. He couldn't stop Burt and Carole. Burt sank to his knees at his son's side and grabbed his free hand. Carole began to put her years of nursing experience to use. Santana felt helpless. Could hear Rachel yelling at Puck to let her go. And then, that most wonderful of sounds, ambulance sirens.

Suddenly, the dark alley was filled with light and uniforms. Santana found herself moved aside as Carole did her best to explain to the paramedics what was wrong, what had happened. She found herself next to Sam, also moved away, and he was taking her hand. She looked into his face - pale and tear stained, his eyes full of pain, of horror, of grief. His once pristine white shirt was marked with red spots; his black trousers looked damp. Even his blond hair had red streaks through it where in a moment of stress he had run his hand through it. And she knew that he, like her, would see this in his dreams for weeks to come.

Then two bodies were being loaded onto gurneys to be spirited away at speed to hospital. Sam was off, by Blaine's side, going with him. Rachel had broken free from Puck and was by his side, her face ashen, but thankfully she was not screaming. Santana heard the lead paramedic on his radio describing Blaine's injuries, Kurt already flying off into the traffic with Burt and Carole. As she listened, the cold feeling came right back. As a description of multiple fractures and broken bones was read out. All with one thing in common. All on the left hand side. Not one break on the right. All on the left. And Brittany's words once again echoed through her head.

Puck had by this time made his way to stand by Santana's side. He wasn't expecting her to turn pale and suddenly vomit violently and copiously. He wasn't prepared for the sobs, the curses and then the muttered prayers. Yet, he got them all. Eventually, Santana filled him on the reason why - Brittany's dream. How everything she had said fitted too perfectly with what had happened. And what that implied for Kurt. Puck refused to accept it. His boy was going to live. He was strong, he was a fighter. There was no way he was going to give up now, not when his goal, marrying Blaine was so close. Santana wanted to believe that, but all the way to the hospital in the back of a cab, she found that she couldn't.

As they walked down the hospital corridor, time seemed to be moving slowly. It was as if the world had halted in the face of the trauma. That feeling ended abruptly as they were about to enter the waiting room of the E.R. It ended as they heard a scream of anguish, followed by aching sobs. Santana new immediately who it was, no doubt in her mind. Rachel. And their pace quickened along those last few steps, fearing what they would find when they entered that room, dreading the moment when reality would finally hit.

It had indeed been Rachel, her heart broken as the news was given. Her small body shook as she sobbed, cradled softly in Sam's arms. He was also crying, but silently. Burt Hummel was just staring blankly into space, a look of such pain on his face; Carole had her arm wrapped around his shoulder, and as Puck and Santana entered the room she looked up, tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes met Santana's, and as the latter mouthed a name, she nodded to confirm what they feared. At that moment their came from Santana's side an inhuman noise as Noah Puckerman broke down. Santana grabbed him to stop him falling to the floor. She alone did not cry as she held a wailing Puck in her arms. Her heart was already broken. Because it had all come true; and Kurt, the blue eyed unicorn, was dead.


	4. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

Puck would later say that the moment that he heard that Kurt Hummel was dead was the worst in his life. Worse than hearing that Finn had died, because this was his boy. The guy he had referred to fondly as Princess. The guy he had sent to Dalton all those years ago to spy on the Warblers; and he had returned head over heels in love. And now, that was all over. Destroyed by a hatred, a prejudice he couldn't understand. He wanted revenge, to even the score. His heart had broken the second that Carole nodded. He hated the fact he would never see Kurt's smile or hear his voice again. The injustice of the situation tore his soul apart.

Santana meanwhile was only too well aware that, at any moment, the small room would be filled with other anxious guests enquiring about their two friends. And she was pretty sure that none of those in the room could deal with any more sobbing. Burt was already in so much pain; Carole's heart was obviously breaking, but she was trying to stay strong for Burt. More upset might just tip her over the edge. Rachel was a mess, and she had never seen Puck so devastated. As for Sam, well he was holding on. He met her eyes, and motioned her over with Puck, despite the fact that he had his hands full with Rachel. His eyes seemed to indicate that he was thinking her way; a silent "Gimme Puck, go stop the rest." So she did, Sam wrapping an arm round Puck's shoulders as he sobbed.

Leaving that room, going back into the hall was hard, but it turned out to be timely. No sooner was she out of the door than she found herself confronted by the concerned faces of Mike, Tina, Quinn, Artie and Mercedes. It only took one look at Santana's face for them to realise that things were bad. A few words set them all crying - Mike staring into space, Tina slumping to the floor and howling, Quinn burying her face in her hands to hide her tears, and Artie taking Mercedes hand, ignoring his own tears as she sobbed for her Boo. It was this scene that met Wes, David, Trent, Thad, Nick and Jeff as they arrived - when they heard the news, Wes found his arms filled with David and Trent, as Nick and Jeff fell into Thad's arms and wailed. By the time the next group of friends arrived, their was no need for Santana to say anything. It was all too apparent that something bad had occurred. Thankfully, there was as yet no sign of Brittany. Santana was dreading the moment that she arrived, as compared to this, her reaction was going to be absolutely horrifying.

It had only been five minutes since Santana had walked out into the hallway, but it was now a scene of tears, raw grief and emotion. Only a few people were containing their feelings as well as her - Wes, still holding it together as he comforted the five ex-Warblers surrounding him; Mike, concentrating instead on supporting the four friends he had arrived with; Ryder in the centre of Marley, Kitty, Jake and Unique, taking on the same role; Emma Schuester, holding her husband to her side as he sobbed. And standing next to her, Sue Sylvester. That she had accepted her invitation had been a shock to many, but she had always had a soft spot for her sweet Porcelain and his Blanderson had kind of grown on her. In the midst of all the turmoil, Sue felt a numbness she had not experienced before. Her Porcelain was broken, shattered into too may pieces to be put back together, gone for good and irreplaceable.

She alone at that point realised that soon they would have to confront a situation far more grave than the raw loss that they as friends were feeling; the pain of losing your missing puzzle piece. The heartache of knowing that they were gone and could never come back. The emptiness of a world without them in it. The guilt of having survived the attack, of not being able to save them. Turning now to Santana, she voiced her question - "Who's going to tell Blaine?" And suddenly you could hear a pin drop in the hallway. The elephant in the room had been revealed. All eyes slowly turned in one direction. Santana realised that there was a very good chance that the task had just fallen to her.

Santana had returned to the waiting room to see that little had changed. Puck was now cradling Rachel; Sam was sitting alone, staring into space. She sat down next to him, and took his hand. He turned towards her, his face still ashen, his eyes lifeless. His hair damp from washing out blood. Then two words broke the solemnity of the room - a nurse calling out Blaine Anderson. Santana knew what it meant - that he was awake and asking for someone that they couldn't give him. She stood up and acknowledged the nurse, claiming to be Blaine's half-sister. No-one called her out on the blatant lie; indeed Carole smiled wanly and nodded at her. And there was the confirmation of her thoughts - he was awake and asking. In the silence, she heard herself saying "I'll tell him."

"I'll come with you." Those four small words filled Santana's heart with relief, and gratitude to Sam, for whom this task would be especially hard. Indeed he was trembling as he stood up, ready to be guided to his best friend's room. He knew what he had to do. His best friend's heart was about to be ripped apart - he had to be there for him, holding his own feelings in check whilst comforting him as best as he could. Blaine's loss, his grief would be far in excess of his. Sam had lost a good friend; Blaine had lost his soul mate, the man he had been due to marry in less than 24 hours. It was his duty to go. Santana took his hand firmly and with a nod they left, the eyes of the four others in the room on them.

The walk from the waiting room to Blaine's room was short, but to his two friends, it felt like thousands of miles. They had to go through the carnage of the hallway, Sam seeing for the first time the grief of his friends. Everyone realised at once where they were going. A nod from Wes, a wan smile from Mike, as Tina burst into even more tears. Suddenly though they were three, Emma leaving Will to support them. For which they were both silently grateful; an extra presence to help them deal with the inevitable consequences of Blaine's life going into meltdown. The moment that their own life's fell apart just a little more.

They stood for a moment at the door to Blaine's room, observing their friend through the small window. He looked so small, so fragile. Bruised and in physical pain. They were acutely aware that on top of that they were about to pile mental pain. They were going to tear his world apart. It would begin the second that they opened the door. Much as they would rather not do it, they knew that their was no choice. Three people entered the room, not wanting to speak. Not really knowing how to begin. In the end, all Sam could think of saying was "Hey Blaine." The small form in the bed turned towards them. As it turned out, they didn't need to say anything else. One look at their faces was all Blaine needed to know that his worst nightmare had come true.

Sam Evans would never manage to erase that moment from his memory. The moment that his best friend's world shattered. It would repeat in slow motion - the dulling of those hazel eyes, the crumpling of Blaine's face, the tears pouring down his bruised face. Worse, far worse was the noise - a wordless whine that abruptly turned into a scream that tore the last shreds of Sam's heart apart. That broke Santana and sent her sobbing into the arms of Emma. And then Sam had his arms around Blaine, letting him cry, scream, hit out. Trying to give some comfort to a tortured soul, lost in a sea of blackness, vainly searching for light.

Those in the room were not aware of how well sound travelled in that hospital. So well in fact that Blaine's tortured scream was audible in the hallway where his friends still waited. It was enough to break Wes, who fell, his composure gone, into the arms of Nick and Jeff. Enough to set Tina screaming, and for her then to pass out in Mike's arms. Loud enough to be heard by Puck and Rachel, now alone as they sat in the waiting room. Burt and Carole had gone to see Kurt, so were spared from hearing Blaine's scream by the soundproofed walls of the mortuary. For everyone who heard, it seemed at that moment as if the world had come to an end, having lost all its meaning and purpose. Darkness had fallen upon them, as one of the brightest lights was extinguished. It wasn't just Kurt that had died that night. It was a part of every single one of them.

Emma let Santana cry then moved her slowly towards the door, to leave Blaine and Sam alone together. She felt guilty, but there was nothing that they could do there. Sam had it covered. As they stepped out of the room, they almost collided with two people hurrying towards them. Santana looked up and saw Brittany and Cooper. He was at once asking to be taken to Blaine, and Emma lead him away, leaving Brittany alone with Santana.

"It came true. I saw it didn't I? Blaine is broken, and Kurt is…."

Santana could only nod.

"My poor unicorns. At least Kurt is with his mom and Finn. Poor Blaine has nobody now, apart from us…."

Yes, thought Santana, Blaine really is alone now. Useless, uncaring parents and a brother who is hundreds of miles away. At least he has his friends. If at that moment she had known just how hard it was going to be to be Blaine's friend now, she might have taken less comfort from the thought.

As Blaine sobbed in Sam's arms, he felt nothing. None of the love and comfort that Sam was trying to give him. Yes, he could feel the warmth from Sam's skin, but it did nothing to fill the great void that had opened in his heart. Nothing to lessen the shattering impact of Kurt's death, to fill the massive gap in his soul. As he cried, he was unsure if the tears were for Kurt or for himself, as darkness fell, blocking the light in his heart and mind. Slowly beginning to change his very nature.

He was suddenly aware that someone else had entered the room, someone whose hand was now tangled in his hair. For a brief second his heart leapt - only Kurt would do that; then he realised that it must be the only other person in the world who ever did that. His brother. His perpetually late brother. Whose tardiness had been the only reason that Kurt was walking with him to the hotel. Flashes of anger filled him, and he moved his head swiftly away from that hand. His tears dried up. His body tensed, and Sam could instantly feel the change. "Get him out of here Sam." Blaine's voice was rough, a growl. "I mean it, get him away from me. The only reason I'm here, that Kurt is dead, is because he was late. This is all his fault."

Cooper Anderson was not perfect by any means. He was arrogant, possessed an inflated ego, and was downright selfish. The one thing that he was sure of was his deep affection for his little brother. He had screwed up with him for years, but recently, he and his Blainers had become closer again. When he had heard that he and Kurt were getting married, everything else was put on hold. And then he was late getting to the airport, and missed his flight. He had been late, and Kurt had paid the price. Cooper knew that this was his fault. He should have got to the airport earlier. Now however, it was too late. Blaine had every right to hate him, to blame him. He knew it. To actually hear the words come from his brother's mouth still cut into him like a knife, even when he knew he deserved them.

And so Cooper allowed Emma to lead him back out of the room. All the while she was telling him that Blaine didn't mean it, would feel differently in the morning, when his pain was less raw. He knew as well as she did, that that wasn't true. Cooper's late arrival was the only reason that Kurt had been with Blaine, and many people would share his opinion. When a tragedy occurs, we look for a scapegoat to hang the blame upon - that would be Cooper. As she watched him cry, Emma felt sorry for him - he was just a victim of circumstance.

Back in the hallway outside the waiting room, Santana was watching as people slowly drifted away, realising that there was nothing that they could do. Blaine was not up to visitors, the Hummels too devastated. Mr Schue promised to keep all the New Directions informed; the younger members had drifted away after that. Santana had taken Wes' cell number and he had agreed to pass on information to the other ex-Warblers, both there and absent, before leading his four comrades out. Tina and Mike were somewhere in the E.R. - her grief had been so great that she had required medical attention. Sue had left when her tears had begun to break through. That left Quinn, Mercedes, Brittany and Artie. All of them red eyed, broken hearted and needing each other. Santana looked over at Mr Schue as he emerged from the waiting room with Rachel and Puck. Then Emma appeared with Sam at her side; Blaine was now asleep with a remorseful Cooper at his bedside. All of them wondering one thing - what do we do now?

They ended up in a diner just outside the hospital. Ten people gathered around two tables, drinking coffee, eating fries and remembering. Each had their own memory of Kurt, something he had done or said that had placed him in their heart - a way he had moved them. They laughed, they cried, they recalled. They drank in support from each other, as they had when Finn had died mere months before. And they worried together for Burt and Carole, dealing with the death of their other son so soon; for each other; and especially for Blaine. Mike and Tina eventually joined them, the latter now much calmer after a quick look at Blaine, to assure herself that he was alive, and as Mike confided quietly "enough drugs to sedate a horse".

No-one wanted to leave, to return to hotel rooms with wedding outfits hanging up; to a loft with Kurt's belongings all to obvious; to beds in which dreams would be disrupted. For Santana, Sam and Puck, who had seen first hand the aftermath of the attack, this latter was the worst fear. Sam could see it the minute he closed his eyes and both he and Santana were too aware of the blood stained clothing that was only partly hidden by their coats, brought by Emma from the Spotlight Diner. Instead they concentrated on the practicalities - things that had to be cancelled for the day ahead, who would face the task of calling Rory in Ireland to let him now what had happened and who would communicate with Burt on the funeral. That subject had inevitably come up. Could they bring themselves to sing, and if so what? They were still making plans as the sun rose on what should have been Kurt's wedding day.

What they did not know was that in a hotel room across town, six former Warblers had also been burning the midnight oil, equally distressed and in need of fellowship. Calls had been made to other Warblers not present, the last to Sebastian in London. They knew that they had to sing at Kurt's funeral for Blaine's sake - there was only one song appropriate for it, the one that Kurt himself had sung after the death of a small bird. Only one thing that they could possibly wear - full Dalton uniform. They had to honour their brilliant countertenor and show support to Blaine. None of them could begin to comprehend how he must be feeling - the nearest they could come to it was to imagine how Nick and Jeff would feel if they lost each other - and both of them had tearfully stated that it would be unbearable.

As dawn broke, the drugs that hand sent Blaine into a dreamless sleep began to wear off. His head began to fill with imagery - blood, baseball bats and Kurt, his face wrecked. The medication kept Blaine asleep; he began to whimper in his sleep, making Cooper, who had sat silently in vigil by his bed all night, grab for his hand. He tried to wake him up, gently at first, then by using all and any means available. Eventually it worked, Blaine's eyes shooting open as he gasped for breath. And this time, not hating Cooper. Needing him, the comfort that he could give. He burst into sobs again, this time cradled by his brother, who took great care to avoid his hair. Two brothers, united in sorrow for a death, and for the end of a period of such joy and happiness in a violent, brutal way.


	5. Sad Funeral

**Sad Funeral**

The next few days were difficult for everyone. So much had to be done to prepare for Kurt's funeral; so much needed to be undone for the wedding. Everyone tried to help as best as they could. Wes and Quinn stood outside City Hall on the day of the wedding to inform any guests who had not heard - there were only a few, but it meant that they had to deal with the fresh grief of other people all over again. Will and Emma volunteered to pack up the more obvious of Kurt's belongings at Bushwick, under the watchful eye of Santana - neither Rachel or Sam could bear to set foot in the loft again until it looked less like Kurt had just popped out for a moment. Even Santana had to excuse herself from the room and sit and cry on the stairs more than once.

It was whilst she was out, sitting upstairs on the roof, that Emma found herself taking delivery of a wedding cake, a surprise gift from Sebastian. The delivery man refused to take it away again, and so Will bagged it up prior to Santana's return. The process took most of the day, but eventually everything was bagged up, ready to remove. Eventually Santana declared that it was safe for Sam and Rachel to return. No sooner had the Schuesters left than the three friends found themselves sitting side by side on the sofa in tears. They all had to admit that they wanted to move out, get as far away as possible, as the loft seemed empty without Kurt. Unfortunately, they also knew that they could not afford to - plus how could they desert Blaine in his hour of greatest need? They resolved that when he came out of hospital, they would decide what to do with him. If he wanted to leave, then they would go with him. If he wanted to stay, then Sam at least would stay with him, no matter how hard that would be.

At the hospital, a rota of visitors was created, to help to ease the pressure on Cooper, who refused to leave Blaine alone. He had called his parents, but their reaction had been typical. Too busy to come and deal with Blaine's situation. So his friends stepped into the breach. The first to arrive was Artie, who sat and held Blaine's hand as he slept, and when he came round, talked to him about happier times. Brittany was next - she stroked his hair, and told him how much she loved him. Tina was less of a success - she spent the entire time crying, and in the end Blaine pretended to be in pain to get more painkillers so he could sleep and she would leave. Nick and Jeff arrived together, and tried their hardest to get Blaine to laugh, but only achieved a brief smile. Seeing him like that broke their hearts - but their was nothing they could do to make it right.

Two days afterwards, Rachel flew back to Lima with Carole. Burt was travelling by train with Kurt's coffin; he refused to leave him alone. Rachel saw her role as both a shoulder to cry on, and to assist in the planning of his funeral. In this she found herself joined by Sue Sylvester. Burt was not in any state to organise things by himself. It had been bad enough for him when they had to bury Finn; having to bury Kurt so soon after was almost unbearable. Sue therefore took on the logistical side, organising the church, the minister and the transport. Rachel was left to deal with what Sue termed the touchy-feely stuff. Which meant an immediate yes to Wes when he came to her with the Warblers proposals. A song from the New Directions. A celebration of a life, with as little religion as she could get away with. It was designed to be a comfort to those that had been left behind. She struggled though without the input of the most important person in all of this. With the help of Sam, who had taken over as the person that sat with Blaine whilst Cooper had his break, they tried to guess what Blaine would want to achieve for Kurt. As the day of the funeral grew ever closer, she could only hope that she had got it right.

In the end, it was exactly one week after Kurt's death that his funeral was held. Burt had been adamant that it could not take place until Blaine was able to attend, and he was not finally discharged from hospital until five days afterwards. He travelled back to Lima with Sam and Cooper. On the evening prior to the funeral, everyone had a chance to pay their respects to Kurt in private. Most people did, lingering only for a few moments beside his open casket. The morticians had done wonders, and his face was almost back to normal. For those that had seen the aftermath of the attack, this was a relief and a blessing. They lingered the longest, fixing this new final image of Kurt in their heads, in the hope of blotting out the disfigured ones from before. Santana had arrived with Brittany, who placed a tiny toy dolphin discretely by Kurt's side, so that "his dolphin will always be there for him." Santana for her part just stood and observed for a few seconds, before whispering goodbye.

Puck arrived alone, and knowing that he was unobserved, bent down towards the coffin.

"Well, this is goodbye, Princess. I wish it wasn't. I wish that your Prince Charming could come in and wake you with a kiss. But he can't. I'm going to miss you. Give my best to Finn when you see him. Tell him that I'll be up there with you some day, and he'd better have the games set up. I'll look after Blaine for you as best as I can."

Then, knowing he was alone, he bent down and placed a kiss on Kurt's cheek, before quickly walking away.

Rachel and Mercedes came together, both of them in tears from the moment they stepped into the room. Mercedes wasn't happy with the style in which they had placed Kurt's hair, and quickly adjusted it, as Rachel looked on smiling. They both said their goodbyes, Rachel lamenting that he wouldn't be there for her opening night, and how was she supposed to be perfect without her biggest critic in the audience? Mercedes whispered in his ear that he'd missed out on her big news, that she had finally got that elusive recording contract. But at least now she knew exactly who she would be dedicating her first album to.

Mike had come with Tina, but in the end, she didn't feel strong enough to come in. So Mike entered alone, and used the opportunity this afforded him to cry as he held Kurt's hand and looked down on his peaceful face. He was joined by Artie, who wheeled himself in quietly, and was at Mike's side, taking his hand, before the former even realised that he had company. The two stayed there in companionable silence for a few minutes before leaving to return to the distraught Tina.

The Warblers arrived en masse, and stood in silence, heads bowed. Wes had wanted them to achieve a quiet dignity as befitted the surroundings, but in the end, he was the one who broke first. By the time they filed out of the room, their eyes were as red as they had been on the night that it had happened. Slipping in behind them, unnoticed, was Dave Karofsky. He stood there for a few seconds, before bursting into gulping sobs, falling to his knees beside the coffin.

He was discovered there by Quinn and Sam. His first reaction when he saw them was to try and leave, but they each took one of his hands, and stood silently beside him as they stared at Kurt.

"I know I hurt him. I made his life hell. But in the end, I came to love him as a friend. He forgave me for everything I'd done, realised why I'd done it. He was there for me when I tried to kill myself. He didn't deserve this."

Quinn moved closer to him, and gave him a reassuring smile, before telling him to sit next to her and Puck at the funeral. Kurt would have wanted that. For the past to be forgotten, and for everyone to move forward.

The last to arrive, after everyone else had gone, was Blaine, supported by Cooper. The latter said a quick goodbye to Kurt, before leaving Blaine alone by Kurt's side, to say his final goodbyes in private. When it came to it, he couldn't speak, couldn't find a way to express how he was feeling in words. He couldn't say goodbye. They had promised never to say goodbye to each other. He wasn't saying it now. When Cooper came back into the room it was to find Blaine hunched over the coffin, his face buried in Kurt's chest, his frail body wracked by sobs at the finality of the situation.

The morning of the funeral dawned - the day was chilly, overcast and calm. From all over, Kurt's friends had converged, as they had done only a week before in New York. The main difference this time was that they were all dressed in dark and sombre tones. Blaine was in a wheelchair, as he was still too unsteady on his crutches. The church was packed. Tears flowed as tribute after tribute was read. The singing was beautiful; the Warblers performance of _Blackbird_ made Blaine burst into tears. By the time they had finished it, there was hardly a dry eye in the church.

Lima Cemetery was cool under an increasingly grey sky. The hole in the green swathe of grass was raw, next to the plot where Elizabeth Hummel lay. Blaine managed to struggle up on his crutches so that he could throw a red and a yellow rose onto the lid of Kurt's coffin, before collapsing in tears again into his brother's arms. The whole day was simple and moving. As people began to head away from the graveside. Heading to Breadstix for the wake, Santana spotted Brittany staring at a tree near the grave. And then she spoke.

"I've just seen my unicorn - he still looks so sad, but he has two people with him. And he has wings now!" As she waved at the tree, Santana thought that the moment had arrived when Brittany finally lost it. "He's waving back and flapping his wings" As a sudden gust of wind hit, Santana began to wonder if she was losing it too.


	6. Afterlife

**Afterlife**

Kurt Hummel could recall only snippets of sound after the baseball bat had hit him between the eyes. He had heard Blaine dragging himself over and felt his hand grasp his. His next memory was of someone - Sam? - saying that his pulse was weak. Of Santana saying that someone had to stop Rachel. He had felt a strong hand on his and realised at once that it was his dad. Then he was aware that he was moving, sirens sounding, his dad pleading that he had to be alright. Then the sounds faded, the sirens seemed to die down, and everything went quiet.

He was suddenly aware of it becoming much lighter. He could hear two voices talking about someone having to pay for messing it up. Two voices that seemed strangely familiar but he could not quite place at first. Now they were talking about him - one female, authoritative, and in charge; the other male, much younger, and with far less experience. New to the job.

And suddenly Kurt recognised the voices and realised what it meant. He wasn't going to wake up in a hospital bed, close to Blaine. He was never going to marry him, never have children, never star on a Broadway stage, never grow old. He was dead. The only possibility. Because the female voice, strong and yet filled with love and concern, was one that he hadn't heard since he was 8 years old - it was his mother. The other voice he had heard last not so long ago. By the sound of it, he hadn't changed one bit in that short time - it was none other than his stepbrother Finn.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to confirm what he suspected. There indeed was his mother, just as he remembered her, appearance unaltered by over a decade of separation. Finn was still the same old Finn; and he noticed that Kurt's eyes had opened first.

"Hey dude, nice to see you." Then realising his faux pas said "But not nice either. Too soon, like me."

Elizabeth just smiled, came over and took her son's hand. Kurt found his eyes filling up - a combination of his joy at seeing his mother and Finn again, and grief at the realisation that he had left Blaine without saying goodbye.

"You want to see him, don't you, son? This wasn't meant to happen, and somebody is going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for this. I warn you now that seeing the hospital is going to hurt. Not everyone has the strength to handle it. If I know you, you'll be ok. But the choice is entirely yours."

Kurt merely nodded - Finn took his hand and helped him up off the bed on which he lay, in a beautiful, white room. And then they were in the hospital, by the side of Blaine's bed. The sight broke Kurt's heart. Tears streamed down his face as he took in the sight of his bruised, battered fiancé. Suddenly he found himself in the waiting room, arriving just at the moment that Puck collapsed with a noise that was unlike anything that Kurt had heard before. Then he was in the hallway, watching as his friends fell apart one by one. Everything he saw broke Kurt's heart, but made him realise one thing - he had been loved.

When the moment came when he found himself returned to Blaine's room, Kurt found himself in pain. Because he knew what this meant - that Blaine was now awake and was about to be told that he was dead. With the comforting arms of this mother and Finn, he knew that he could deal with it - they in turn promised to get him away if it all got too much and he started to crack. The moment, when it came, was to Kurt far worse than the baseball bat's impact. Hearing his fiancé scream, watching him hitting out at Sam as he fell apart was too much for Kurt to bear. Before he knew it, he found himself back in the beautiful white room, lying on the bed, with Finn holding him in his arms as he wept. His eyelids became heavy, and slowly his body drifted off to sleep.

Over the next few days, Kurt was given a full tour of the new world he found himself in by Finn. His mom took time to educate him in the rules that he had to follow, and in the new responsibilities that he now had. He discovered that his mother was a senior official on the angel council, a role which she undertook with a full recognition of its importance. As a result of this he saw her often, but his almost constant companion was Finn. Still the same old person in many ways, but with a greater degree of compassion, and a new found wisdom. It fell to him to soothe Kurt as he grieved for the loss of his father and Blaine; it was Finn that held Kurt as he cried from the excruciating pain in his back as his wings grew. Once they had, it again fell to his stepbrother to show him how to take care of them, and most importantly of all, how to fly. Finn, to his surprise, was an excellent flier, patient and understanding as he taught his 'little' brother how to fly. It was a talent that he quickly mastered. It was the one aspect of his new life above all others that he found deep satisfaction in, his ability to soar like a bird. As he flew, he could almost forget the pain in his heart.

The problem was that those moments were rare. Not a day went past when Kurt did not feel as if his heart had been ripped out. Sometimes, even the slightest thing could make his heart yearn for Blaine to be by his side. He could see him at any time, if he wished, and at first he had spent as much time as possible watching over him. It was possibly the worst thing in the world, he decided, to be sitting by the bedside of your soulmate and not be able to hold them when they cried, not be visible to them or have them hear you. As a result, Kurt spent a lot of time crying in the arms of his mom, or Finn.

Finally, a morning came when Kurt was asked by Finn if he would like to attend his own funeral. Ignoring the irony of the statement, he agreed, and found himself standing at the back of a packed church with his mother and stepbrother. The moment when Blaine was wheeled into the church by Cooper nearly broke Kurt's heart - to see him so helpless, so drained. At least Artie was there next to him at the front to grip his hand when things became too much. Kurt cried as loudly as Blaine when the Warblers began to sing _Blackbird _; he choked back sobs at other moments during the service. Seeing all the devastated faces, especially his dad's, was hard to bear. What made it worse was that he could feel their thoughts.

If the church had been bad, the cemetery was harder. There tears fell again, and as Blaine finally collapsed sobbing into Cooper's arms, Kurt fell into Finn's in the exact same state. As people drifted away, Kurt recovered a bit. It was at that point that something unexpected occurred.

"That girl, the blonde. She can see us. She's looking right at us."

Kurt looked at his mother, astounded. Then realised that Brittany was indeed staring straight across the cemetery, right at them - was no doubt telling Santana exactly what she could see. When he thought about, it all made sense. If there was anyone amongst his friends who could see the supernatural, it had to be Brittany. Now she was waving across at him, whilst Santana glared at her. His heart going out to the poor girl, he waved back at her, and before he realised what he was doing, had given his wings a flap. The look of shock on Santana's face as the slight draught hit her was priceless. If only it was possible for Blaine to see him, then his whole world would be perfect.

As Santana dragged Brittany away, the blonde waving a fond goodbye, Kurt realised that his mom and Finn were talking in hushed tones. He caught the phrase "Back to this exact spot, a week today, around 7.30am. Then it will all be resolved as it should have been."

"What will be as it should be?" enquired Kurt.

The other two angels looked at each other. With a sigh, Elizabeth looked at Finn, and told Kurt exactly what was going to happen. The news filled Kurt with a mixture of emotions. For his own part, he was overjoyed; but for his friends, he felt a new sadness. He knew he could do nothing to prevent events taking place, only be there when the moment came.


	7. Breadstix

**Breadstix**

Santana had to admit that she had been rattled by events at the cemetery. She had never had a strong belief one way or the other in an afterlife, angels and all that sort of thing. That one breath of wind had made her stop and think. It would make complete sense if Porcelain was now an angel. The two people with him obviously his mom and Finn. Or was it all a case of her friend's overactive imagination playing tricks, both on Brittany and by suggestion, on her? What it came down to was this - could Brittany now see dead people? That prospect was scary, particularly as it had now been agreed that she was coming to stay in New York, with the three of them at Bushwick. Rachel could go into hysterics at the drop of a hat as it was without Brittany pointing out every dead person she saw whilst they were out and about.

It seemed quite fitting that Kurt's wake should take place at Breadstix - it was after all the place that he and Blaine had tended to come to for dates whilst they had been in Ohio, and where New Directions had held most of their parties. Today the conversation was muted and low, the mood sombre. All eyes were focused on Burt and Carole; and Blaine, sat between Burt and Cooper, managing a bit better here on crutches than he had done in the cemetery. Everyone was secretly dreading the moment when someone stood up to propose a toast in Kurt's memory. Or worst still, just to lament on his passing. What no-one was expecting was what they were actually about to get.

As the week in hospital had dragged by for Blaine, his mood had moved slowly from overwhelming grief to anger. He had had plenty of time to think. Plenty of time to weigh things up. Time to bring himself to conclusions, and to prepare a speech for the next time when he had a room full of his friends and acquaintances. At first, what he intended to do was to deliver a eulogy in which he expressed his loss, their loss. But as time weighed on his hands, he had started to think. About the when, what and why off that night. The night he had lost his future. And slowly but surely, the anger had begun to build in his heart. The need to lash out and to apportion blame to those that deserved it. Because in his mind, it wasn't only his assailants that were to blame for Kurt's death.

When he rose from his seat, balancing precariously on one crutch, the entire room fell silent. Every eye in the room was on him. He was used to it - he was a seasoned veteran of the show choir scene after all. This performance would go down however as one of his most powerful - memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. Afterwards, even Santana would be regarded as less of a bitch than Blaine Anderson.

"I'd like to start with an apology. To Burt mainly. Not just for not being able to protect his son that night, but for what I am about to say….." That, he observed, had got everyone's full attention. "That night, the night that my heart died alongside Kurt, had been the best of my life. I was going to marry the sweetest, the kindest, the most beautiful guy in the world. He was the missing piece of my soul; he completed me. He loved me, despite my many flaws. My imperfections. He could forgive me, eventually, even when I betrayed him in the worst possible way. I was so luck, and so darn proud that I was going to be Blaine Hummel-Anderson. That I could spend the rest of my days surrounded by a deep mutual love and affection. And then, in a heartbeat, I lost everything. My reason to live was taken away and I was helpless to stop it. At first, all I could do, all I wanted to do, was cry at the unfairness of it all. But then I started to think. And began to realise that someone was to blame. And that person was not my brother, who initially took all the flak."

"Who then, I hear you ask? After all, it was simply a case of the wrong place at the wrong time. And yes, to a degree, that is true. Do you see this spot on my face?" He pointed to an unshaven patch of skin on his right cheek. "That is the spot where Kurt kissed me that night. His last kiss. The one that sealed our fate. So is all of this Kurt's fault? No way. After all, he was doing nothing so very wrong. Throwing caution to the wind on a busy Manhattan avenue. It's WHY he did it that matters. Do you know what his last words to me were? 'Does a kiss count as wanky?' That is what sealed our fate. A text….."

Blaine noted with satisfaction the discomfort that those words had caused to some and the confusion it was causing to others. He continued

"Three little words - No getting wanky. Sent as a joke. Turned out to be a death sentence. For Kurt, and yes, for me. Because I am as good as dead now. So, who sent it? It came from Santana's phone, but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't from her. In fact, know that it wasn't, because when I called her as my Kurt lay dying by my side, she answered with an apology. For someone else stealing her phone to send it. Someone who is here, right now. Someone whose guilt is eating away at them, because they KNOW that this is their fault. I'm right, aren't I Puck? You feel guilty as hell for all of this…"

All eyes turned to Puck, reduced to a pale shaking mess. Blaine was not finished yet.

"I'm not foolish enough to believe that he was alone in doing it. I'm sure that everyone around him was egging him on to press send. I'm pretty certain that they all found it absolutely hilarious at the time. Well, what can I say? Who's laughing now? Because of that text, Kurt kissed me - annoyed some homophobic thugs in the process and got the shit battered out of him. Ended up cold on a mortuary slab on what should have been our wedding day. And do you know what? I wish that they had finished the job on me, so I could still be with him. Because right now, lying in a box in the cold, damp earth would be infinitely preferable to standing here. Right now, anything would be better than the living hell I'm in. Anything…"

With that, Blaine broke. Tears running down his cheeks, he turned to face Burt.

"I'm so sorry Burt. I couldn't protect him, couldn't save him. Now, I've ruined his funeral. It's just that I'm so angry. So alone. He was everything to me. My future. And that's all gone now. I wish I was with him. I just want to die and be with him. Why did they have to spare me? Why couldn't they just let me die too?"

And then Burt had his arms wrapped around him, letting him sob his heart out. He could feel Burt's own tears on the top of his head. Yet even there, wrapped in those arms, Blaine felt so very alone.

As silently as possible, Puck stood up and headed for the door. Blaine's words had touched a nerve; confirmed something that he had felt since that night. He was responsible for everything that had happened; that just as surely as his actions had brought Kurt and Blaine together for the first time, he had torn them apart. As he stood outside, trembling, wondering where he could go, he felt a hand on his arm. To his surprise it was Rachel. Who was not looking at him as if he was the devil incarnate. In fact, she was looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

"He's upset Puck. He knows deep down that this isn't your fault. He's just lashing out at the most convenient target and that happens to be you. When Finn died, I was exactly the same, and to an extent, so were you. We needed someone to blame, even though it was an accident. Give him time, and he'll apologise. Now come back in side for your own sake, and for the rest of us."

As she finished her sentence, the doors opened and Cooper appeared, pushing Blaine. A sobbing, tiny form, curled up in his wheelchair. Puck felt an urge to rush forward, sink to his knees in front of him and beg for forgiveness. The expressions of both Cooper and Rachel told him that this would be a bad idea. There would be a time and a place for such things - the sidewalk outside Breadstix was not it. Rachel went to assist Cooper in getting Blaine into the car, leaving Puck momentarily alone; then Burt emerged. Puck steeled himself for more harsh words, and was shocked and gratified to find himself instead pulled into a hug, and hear three wonderful words whispered in his ear - "Not your fault."

As it turned out, Puck was not the only person that Blaine would lash out at that day. Rachel would also receive the sharp end of his tongue as she assisted Cooper. As she placed a supportive hand on his arm he spoke in low tones.

"I bet you're thinking 'I know what you are going through - I lost Finn.' Well, you don't know a thing. The two of you had broken up when he died. You didn't have to hear his screams as he was attacked. His death was accidental; Kurt's was deliberate. So don't you DARE think for one second that you know how I feel, because you don't and I hope you never will. None of you will ever know what this feels like. So right now, I would really appreciate it if you could just tell everyone to leave me alone. Trust me, I'm not worth your trouble."

Rachel went to open her mouth, to tell him that he was worth it, but a sharp shake of the head from Cooper made her realise that, once again, this was neither the time nor the place. As they drove off, she made her way back sadly to Breadstix, outside which a sobbing Puck was still being held tightly in Burt's arms. She joined them, wrapping her own arms around the two men. Feeling their pain, and admitting her own deep sense of emptiness and loss. The hole where Finn had been had been widened by the loss of Kurt, her best friend. The one person that had always shared her dreams, supported her and tolerated her diva strops was gone forever.

Inside the restaurant, people were still coming to terms with what Blaine had said and done. Mike sat guiltily holding a shocked Tina, thankful that his own name had not been added to Puck's. Will, Emma and Sue sat together in silence, surrounded by an increasing hubbub of whispered conversations, trying to catch the mood of the room. Brittany was crying for her poor hurt unicorn. Artie, Mercedes and Quinn were discussing Blaine's sanity in the light of his outburst. In the biggest group, made up of six Warblers, Sam and Santana, there was only one topic of conversation - Who has stolen our Blaine, and how on earth do we get the old one back? Short of a time machine, none of them knew the answer, because it seemed that only Kurt's return could bring Blaine back.

In the car, Cooper said nothing. He had learned in the last few days that it was better to keep his opinions to himself; to not challenge or call out his brother when he needed to lash out. He was positive that his polite, dapper, reasonable little brother was still in there somewhere, but at the moment, the volatile, angry version was the only one he was privy to. As for Blaine, his head ached. He was conflicted between the regret he felt for ruining Kurt's funeral by lashing out, and his need to blame someone. Puck had been an obvious and easy target. For a few moments, he had felt better. Now, however, the all too familiar pain was back, eating away at his heart, destroying the fabric of his soul. Removing all traces of Blaine 'Warbler' Anderson.


	8. Days 1 & 2: Tina & Emma

_Thanks to everyone who has read this far. There now follows Blangst with a capital B..._

**Days 1 & 2: Tina & Emma**

The day after Kurt's funeral, Tina decided that she would go to visit Blaine. The two had grown close in their last year at McKinley High, and even the infamous Vaporape incident hadn't split them. In fact, she had been declared a full blown hag by Kurt and Blaine. Tina was till concerned about the welcome that she would receive when she arrived at the Anderson house, after the outburst from Blaine the day before. To make matters more complicated, Mike had insisted on coming with her. If Blaine suspected that he was involved heavily in the whole text message debacle, it good quickly become very awkward. In the event, she managed to convince him to remain outside in the car.

Cooper was at first reluctant to let her in. he too was worried about how his brother would react to seeing his friends. His mood had not improved much during the night, and Cooper had been woken twice by his brother's screams as his nightmares had become too much for him. A cup of coffee had seemed to have some minor effect though. And with his disturbed night, Cooper was tired. So in the end, he relented and allowed Tina in. It would give him a chance to close his eyes for a few minutes; to relax and plan just how he was going to turn his brother around and restore him to his old self. He sent Tina up to Blaine's room, in the hope that all would be well.

As Tina walked in and saw the small figure hunched in a chair at his desk, staring at a photograph of himself and Kurt at his graduation, she felt a lump in her throat. And tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to reach out to him, comfort her friend, make him feel that he was still loved. A breeze from the open window made the room cool; Tina shivered slightly. She couldn't think of the words to start with, to break the silence. Then he saw her reflection in the window. His eyebrows raised slightly, as if he was waiting for her to speak. And still, no words would come to her.

"So, are you just going to stand there like a statue, Tina? Tears in yours eyes, and expecting me to come over to you by the looks of it. I know why you're here - to be my friend, try to comfort me. But instead, what I get is a tear stained hag hanging around silently like a wraith. Do you honestly think that helps? In fact, do you really think that there is anything that you could do to help me? Let's face it, every time you came to the hospital to visit me, you sat and sobbed for the entire time you were there. I'm beginning to think that you might be just a little bit self-centred here - does it make you feel better to be here, to be there for poor Blaine? Because to be brutally honest, your presence is doing nothing for me."

Tina stood stunned as he continued. "I guess it has always been about you, our whole relationship. Someone to validate you when Mike left you behind. Poor little lost Tina, clinging to the other person in the same boat. What did I ever get out of it? Criticism, grief and vaporub. When I said that I was going to propose to Kurt, you thought that I was stupid. Maybe I am. Stupid to believe that you were anything other than a sad lonely hag, living her life through me. Even now, SO upset for my loss. Thought that you would be happy, actually, as it means that Kurt won't be stealing the time I could be spending with you. Well guess what, I don't want to see you, just get out of here and leave me alone."

"How dare you say that to her," came a voice. Mike had heard Blaine's raised voice through the window, had barged into the house and was now standing in the doorway behind his shell shocked ex.

"How dare I, Mike? The same way that some of my so called friends dare to send stupid text messages. I know full well that you would have been encouraging Puck to send it. The two of you have always shared the same sense of humour. So do me a favour, take your not quite Asian enough ex, and leave. I just want to be left alone, because none of you get it. The pain, the mind numbing grief - and I hope you never have to. Just go, and tell everyone else to just leave me alone. Leave me to my memories, my broken dreams and shattered hopes."

With that Blaine turned back to the photograph. Mike dragged a shocked Tina down the stairs, past an apologetic Cooper, trying to make excuses for his brothers actions, but finding none that he believed. None that he thought they would accept. Then they were back in the car, Tina crying hard, Mike trying his best to comfort her, whilst still dealing with his own shock - and guilt. Whatever had gotten into Blaine the day before was obviously now in full control of their friend. Mike could just about understand his pain, his need to lash out, but he hated the fact that he had heart Tina, someone who he still cared deeply for. He would certainly be sending out a group text to warn everyone - avoid Blaine. No-one else needed to be hurt at his hands.

Mike proceeded to do just that. Reaction to it was mixed - some were outraged at the way Blaine had reacted towards Tina - others could comprehend why. His loss, his pain was still raw; in time, he would return to his normal self. How long that would take was anybody's guess. In the meantime, it was perhaps best if they let him be, gave him the space to grieve in his own way. However, Mike's text only reached his fellow New Directions and the Warblers. It did not reach one crucial group of people. The teaching staff of McKinley High. So it was that a pregnant Emma Schuester set off to visit Blaine the following day, confident that in her role as school counsellor, she was the person best equipped to help Blaine in his time of pain.

As on the previous day, Cooper was reluctant to let anyone in to see his brother, particularly in light of events the day before. He confided in Emma that Blaine was barely talking, and that when he did, his answers were short and delivered in a tone of irritation. His appetite had gone, even his usual coffee addiction. He was no longer taking care of his appearance, his hair gel abandoned, his clothes dirty and not to his usual style. Blaine had gone from dapper gentleman to scruffy oaf overnight. He spent most of his time staring blankly ahead; the rest staring at photos of Kurt, of the two of them in happier times. All of this to Emma were classic signs of grief. Maybe with her empathy, he would open up.

So Cooper allowed Emma to go upstairs to see his brother. He was sitting, staring into space this time - Emma was not even sure that he even knew that she was standing there next to him. A cheerful hello came from her lips. Blaine's head turned and his eyes focused on her, standing there turned out immaculately as ever; demure and sweet in appearance. He knew in his heart that she was there because she felt that she could help him. And if he listened, let her in, there was a good chance that she would help in her own way. The problem was that at that precise moment, he did not want to be helped. He just wanted to be left alone to wallow in his misery. And so, once again, he lashed out.

"Why, hello to you, Mrs Schuester! Or are you still Miss Pillsbury in your professional role as counsellor? I'm not sure on that. I presume that you have come to console me, to advise me? Just give me the pamphlets and let's get this over with." Emma just looked at him, and then he noticed that her hands were empty for once.

"Oh my God, you've not got any pamphlets! Now that is a first. I was hoping for some with their usual catchy titles. Like 'So your fiancé was brutally slain' or 'You had to hear your soul mate beaten to death.' Or how about 'It would have been better if you had died too.' Were they not available at short notice? Because right now, they sound really useful to me!"

"You know, I think it would have been so much better, easier for everyone, if I had just had the decency to die in that alley alongside Kurt. Or better yet, _instead _of Kurt. Because to be honest, to most of you at McKinley, it was always KurtandBlaine, even after he left. People only ever cared about me because I was Kurt's Blaine. Even now, people are only really concerned about me because they feel that they owe it to poor Kurt. To look out for me because he no longer can. But do you know something. I can see it in all of your eyes. That you blame me for the fact that I am here, and Kurt isn't. If only I had acted differently."

"To be brutally honest, I don't see what you can do for me. You can't make me feel any less guilty for sitting here. You can't take away my nightmares. You can't stop me seeing my Kurt dying again and again. You can't make me back into the old dapper, polite, cheery Blaine. Because you can't bring him back to me. So I'm afraid that your all stuck with angst filled, miserable, short tempered me. With the greatest of respect, Emma, there is now way that I would want to listen to the platitudes that you planned to say to me. Warm words and empathy just won't cut it. And from what I've been told, I doubt that you are really up to dealing with me in any case. Cooper should really just call in a proper shrink, not an amateur. No offence intended."

"None taken" said Emma. Even though, deep down, what she had heard had cut her to the quick. This was not Blaine, it was the darkness of grief. And it was engulfing him, drowning the charming young man that they all loved and respected. She wanted to tell him that he had it all wrong, but he had turned away to stare again at the wall, this time with headphones on, so he could drown out any attempt at conversation. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Emma left. As she did so, she notice that the headphones were not connected to anything. He was using them merely as a method to drown her out.

She was met at the bottom of the stairs by Cooper. "No good, I take it? To be honest I'm running out of ideas here. My parents are refusing to pay for professional help, saying that he just needs to snap out of it. What do I do, Emma? How do I get my Blainers back?" Cooper promptly burst into tears, to be held in Emma's arms. She had come to try and help Blaine, but had ended up having to help his brother; the poor man trying to be everything to his sibling, whilst still feeling partially responsible for the whole situation. A man fighting a losing battle to pull his brother back from the depths of despair.

"What you do Cooper, every day, is tell him that you love him, that you need him, that you care. You keep on saying that even when he throws it back in your face. And he will. He's angry, Cooper. He hates the world. He blames himself and wishes that he had done everything differently. He wishes that he had died instead. It will take time to get him out of that mindset. To convince him that he matters and that we all love him for himself. We have to though, because if we don't, I think there is a real risk that Blaine will end up as a danger to himself. Potentially a danger to those around him. I don't want to see that anymore than you. We need to get him to open up and get him out of that dark place he is in. Because if we don't….." and she shivered.

It was that message of showing Blaine that he was loved that was sent out by Emma to everyone that afternoon. Coming less than a day after Mike had told them to stay away from him due to the fact that he was best avoided, it attracted a degree of scorn to say the least. It did however, strike a chord with one person in particular. Someone who had been left so distressed by everything that had occurred. In their own way, they decided that the best way they could show him their love was with a small gift from the heart - an expression of their deep sympathy for Blaine's loss. In the process they unwittingly made someone very close to them the next target for Blaine's wrath.


	9. Day 3: Brittany & Santana

**Day 3 : Brittany & Santana**

The arrival of the UPS driver the morning after Emma's visit took Cooper by surprise. He was certainly not expecting a parcel for his brother to be delivered, particularly one that had been sent on overnight express delivery. Its arrival left Cooper torn as to whether to actually give it to his brother. In the end, he did - if Blaine found out that he had withheld it, a minefield might open up. At first, things seemed positive - it got him interested. He tore the box open - but as he caught sight of its contents, his face changed from curiosity to rage. With a roar, he flung the box across the room, its cargo falling out and hitting the floor. The small soft toy bounced and stilled. It was a unicorn, with bright blue eyes.

"Where did this come from? Who sent me that? Did they think that it would make me feel better? A reminder of Kurt in plush." He paused, and his brain clicked the answers into place. "Actually, I know who sent it. I suppose in her mind it was a nice idea. It is lovely. It is. Just not right now. Not right now…" and Blaine dissolved into tears. Took a step across the room and picked up the toy. Held it to his heart. For a moment, he could feel the love with which it had been sent. The kind heart that had sent it. He loved Brittany for it. He couldn't hate her. Not her. It was just not an ideal gift right now.

He became aware that his brother was also crying and holding out a sheet of pink paper. The note that had come with the toy. It confirmed what Blaine thought. It read '_My dear, sweet Blaine, I hear that you are very sad after losing your dolphin. I feel so sad too; I used to have two happy unicorns, now I only have one. It makes me cry when I think of you all alone. I know that it isn__'__t the same, but this reminded me of Kurt. I hope it makes you a bit happier, because I miss you and want to see you. Santana says I can__'__t just now as you are too sad. But I miss you so much, so you have to get better soon. All my love my dear dolphin, your friend Brittany.__'_

The note was typical Brittany - sweet and full of references to the usual animals. There was one line that jarred with Blaine though. Why had Santana told her she couldn't see him? Of all of his 'friends', Brittany was the only one that he felt would make him feel better. Who did Santana think she was to ban her from visiting? He asked Cooper to find out where Brittany was - the answer came back quickly - in New York with Rachel and Santana at Bushwick. Too far for him to go and visit in his condition, but perfectly comfortable for Skype. So for the first time since that fateful day, he logged in, to discover that Santana was on line. He quickly sent her a talk request.

To say that Santana was shocked when his talk request popped up would have been an understatement. It also left her slightly worried. She accepted it nonetheless, prepared to take whatever was flung at her. The very amicable Blaine that spoke to her was a shock. From what Mike had said, she had expected a hobbit version of herself, not the same old young gentleman, enquiring politely how she and Rachel were holding up. The small talk continued for a few minutes, and the only thing that concerned Santana was his appearance - he looked so unkempt. So unlike Blaine. Then he asked if Brittany was there - she was and to his satisfaction, Santana went to get her. While he waited, he grabbed the toy unicorn. His breathing was calm and measured, his mind clear. He waited with anticipation for his friend.

She appeared, and instantly gave a shriek of delight at seeing the toy held in Blaine's hands. "You got him! Do you like him? I thought his blue eyes looked like Kurt's. I miss him, and I know you must do too. I just wanted to show you how much I love you, my dolphin." And Blaine could only smile at the genuine outpouring of love and affection from the former Cheerio. She was so different to Santana - he could quite easily have let her hold him and comfort him, because from her it so obviously came from the heart and was only for him. But for some reason she was being told that she could not come to him. He was being denied her comfort and that made him angry.

Just for now he had to stay calm - not let his anger show. "I love him Brittany. He does remind me so much of my Kurt - he's sweet, beautiful and made for snuggles. I am not going to go anywhere from now on without him. I think that I might even call him Kurt if you think that is a good idea." Brittany vigorously nodded her head in agreement. "I'd love to see you next time you are here in Ohio. You're a true friend and I love you so much."

"I love you too, Blaine." She blew him a kiss - the very gesture made him tear up. So he asked her to go and get Santana back. Because now he needed to know why she couldn't be here with him.

Santana returned to the computer with less trepidation. Blaine seemed to be his old self. Maybe Mike and Tina had just caught him on a bad day. So she sat back down in front of the screen, not fearing what she was about to hear; curious to see the toy that Brittany had sent. It wasn't there, and Blaine was not smiling. Santana realised that she was about to get both barrels from him.

"Well Satan, can you explain to me why Brittany has been banned from visiting me? Because let me tell you, the last few minutes talking to her have made me happier than I have been since I got a certain text message. She's so sweet, so genuine, so concerned for me as me, not for me as part of, as you might put it, Klaine. If I had her here by my side maybe I wouldn't feel quite so awful every second of every day. Is it because of what I did to Tina the hag? Because to be honest she did deserve it - always in floods of tears; not exactly the way to get me out of my dark place, is it? Whereas Brittany, she just treated me as she always has. As her unicorn, her dolphin. It almost made me forget. As for her cute little gift, I will treasure it because it is just so sweet. Cute as Kurt. And I can hold it in the night, because that is when it's worst. At night. Then I just feel so lost and empty."

"Are you finished? Then maybe I can answer your questions. The incident with Tina and Mike is exactly why I won't let Brittany come and see you. In case she says something that sets you off on her. You really upset Tina. She wasn't coping with Kurt's death as it was, but she thought that maybe she could help you, hold your hand. She just didn't know how to start the conversation. It's not something we are prepared for at high school, Blaine - how to start a conversation about the death of someone you loved with their fiancé. What you said to her was cruel and vindictive. It's no wonder that Mike was upset. I can't risk you doing that to Brittany."

"So what you are saying," countered Blaine, "is that she is banned from my physical presence in case I become overwhelmed and suddenly react badly to something she might do or say? She is a grown up, Santana, and you are not her mother. You can't always be there to protect her from life. People get mad, even the nicest one's in the world. They react, do things out of character, like setting fire to cheerleader outfits… If I did lose it with her, it would probably be because you would be hanging about in the background, making your usual caustic comments, in the off chance that I might say something. God forbid that my sense of loss bubbles to the surface and makes me lash out at some ill thought out, casual remark. I don't honestly think that I could lash out at her - she is just so sweet - unlike the majority of you."

"I beg your pardon, Blaine, but what exactly is your beef with the rest of us? We have gone out of our way to support you in all of this. Don't you think that we all miss Kurt too, or do you have a monopoly on that? I was _there_ Blaine - me, Sam and Puck saw what they did to Kurt. I see it in my nightmares, just like you. I wake up screaming, bathed in sweat, with Brittany in tears next to me. You're not the only one suffering here. Perhaps you should think about that."

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry Santana. Let me apologise for getting you so involved in all of this. Next time I'm being beaten to death, I'll remember not to call you in a panic. If I see Kurt, I'll pass that on! You really are something else, do you know that? I'll write the three of you apologies as soon as I get the chance. And if I get to heaven first, then I'll make sure that Kurt knows to be waiting at the gates for you to apologise too. Do you know what? This conversation is over, we're over. My love to Brittany - and Santana - _usted es una triste perra lesbiana. No sabes nada de mi y de mi dolor. Hazme un favor y mantener fuera de mi vida.__" _With that, he ended the conversation, leaving a shocked Santana wide mouthed in the loft at Bushwick. She had no idea that he was quite so fluent in Spanish. She did know one thing - it would be a very long time before she considered speaking to him again.

In Ohio, Blaine moved away from the computer and slumped down on his bed. Picking up the toy unicorn, he sighed. "Well Kurt, it's going to be a while before we see your Auntie Brittany again. Swearing at Satan in Spanish was not my best idea ever. I mean, I know they are suffering, but so am I. They've lost a friend, but I've lost my future. All that was planned is gone. I don't want to sing again without him to listen. I can't dance, and I don't know if I'll ever play the piano again. And as for sleep, now that would be nice." He curled up in a ball, clutching the blue eyed unicorn to his chest. His tears came again easily, but sleep was reluctant to. Even if it did, it would be haunted by blood and screams. Such now was the total of Blaine Anderson's life.

In New York, Santana sat with Rachel and cried. For the loss of Kurt - and the disappearance of the Blaine that they had known and loved. The boy that had swept Kurt off his feet from the moment he saw him. They had been the world to each other. They had seen first hand how they had floundered when they had broken up last year. Their joy when they came back together. And now, Kurt was gone and Blaine was sinking deeper and deeper, to a point from which he could not resurface. And however much he had hurt her, Santana could not help but mourn the loss of a friend.


	10. Day 4 : Sam

_Thanks to all of you that are continuing to read. Four days since the funeral, and Blaine's deterioration is about to come to a head..._

**Day 4 : Sam**

After another night of periods of brief sleep, interspersed with horrific nightmares, Blaine awoke to another bright sunny day in an even worse mood than on the previous day. His guilt at his confrontation with Santana had not lasted - he felt now that she had had it coming. His love for Kurt Unicorn was growing, giving Cooper great cause for concern, as he had spent most of the money talking away to the toy as if it _was_ Kurt. At lunch, Blaine refused to eat anything more than a handful of Graham crackers; even those were only consumed to get Cooper to stop nagging him for a minute. Afterwards, Blaine retreated back to his room. Cooper sighed, and began to ponder a new problem. He needed to go and buy food, but he did not want to either leave Blaine alone, or take him to the market with him.

Salvation it seemed came in the form of a tentative knock at the door. Cooper hesitated to open it; he prayed it wasn't someone on a religious mission, that Blaine would pounce on and attack verbally. It wasn't. It was the only person left that Cooper felt his brother might actually talk to about how he was feeling. It was still a risk, but he knew how close they were. If anyone could get through, it would be Sam. Blaine's best friend, his secret crush for so long. The person that had held him together whilst he and Kurt had been apart. Sam was also fully aware what he was getting into, and was still willing to give it a try.

With Sam in the house, Cooper felt confident enough to make the quick trip to buy food, and left. Sam meantime began to psyche himself up for his visit to Blaine. When he had announced his intentions on Facebook that morning, Mike had told him that he was mad to even consider it given his track record. Santana had warned him to be prepared for a severe tongue lashing. Emma had emphasised the need to show him warmth and affection, and to alone Blaine to be in control. Brittany had asked him to give her love to Kurt Unicorn. Sam was just hoping that things weren't going to get too personal. That he could keep his temper if Blaine said something to provoke him. His main aim was that maybe, just maybe, he could get Blaine to smile.

He found Blaine clutching his toy unicorn to his heart. More disturbingly, he was whispering to it. "Well Kurt, Cooper has gone out, so that means that there is somebody here, because I am too psycho to leave alone at the moment. Lost the plot. I wonder who it is? Mr Schue? Sue? Wes?"

"It's me Blaine," said Sam. "I couldn't go back to New York whilst you need me around. I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get here, but getting past Coop is hard. Someone else always seemed to beat me here. But today I made it in first. So I'm at your disposal, Blaine. For whatever you want. If you want to talk, then I'll listen. You don't, then I will. You are my best friend. Don't ever forget that. I love you man."

"Ah, Sam. At least you managed to speak to me. Tina maintained silence and Emma… well I didn't give her a chance. Do I want to talk? Nope, nothing of interest to say. Probably a lot like what you are intending to talk to me about. Not really of much interest Sam. As I keep telling people, I just want to be left alone. I have my new pal Kurt Unicorn to talk to - he listens, doesn't judge me, or give me advice. If I was you Sam, I'd just go and forget about me. I'm not socially acceptable anymore. I'm a wreck."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm here for the long haul, Blaine. I value my friendships, and yours more than most. What sort of friend would I be if I ran when things got tough? Someday you'll thank me for this. When you are back to your old self."

"My old self Sam? You are waiting in vain for that. My old self was in love with Kurt, lived to be with him. Fearlessly and forever. Through all eternity. So now that he is gone, has said goodbye without intending to, my old self can no longer exist. He is buried alongside Kurt in the cold ground. What you get now is this Sam. A gutted shell, a half witted lunatic that talks to toy unicorns as if they were human. Someone with no heart, no sympathy. A tortured soul. The old Blaine is gone, and he ain't coming back."

"I'll take my chances and wait. Do you think that Kurt would want you to be like this? Angry, bitter, pushing everyone away? He would expect us to be there for you, through thick and thin. Everyone else might have run away, given up, But I won't"

"I would if I was you. Because this is not like before. We became best friends when I had lost Kurt, but still had a hope of getting him back. You helped me to achieve that and I love you for it. But unless you have a tardis hidden away somewhere, you can't do that this time."

"I can still help you, be there for whatever, whenever. I'll move in here with you and Cooper if it helps. Give up my plans. I just want to help, because I need you back."

"So it's not pure philanthropy then. _You _need me back to my old self. Why Sam? You have other friends that are less screwed up than me. And how guilty do you think that I will feel knowing that I am stopping you living your life? Knowing that I am holding you back here in Ohio, when you should be in New York, working to get your junk on the side of a city bus? It would eat away at me Sam, make the whole situation much, much worse. Kurt dead, your life as good as over. All on me. As for the idea of you moving in here, not a good one. Between mad me and egotistical Coop, you'd end up in the county asylum. Which is were I should be if we are being honest."

"I promise you Blaine that I just want to help. I can't go to New York and leave you, the guilt would eat me up. I want to stay here and care for you. You are so important to me. My best friend. Loyal. Honest. Considerate. Please, just let me help"

"Ha, you think I'm honest? You really don't know me that well after all. Remember that day when you asked me about guilty pleasures? And you realised that you were mine? And we hugged it out? Those breath mints were in the opposite pocket to what you felt. I was achingly hard for you at that point. I cam back here that night and jerked off thinking about you and that hug. Thinking how I wished that I had just flung you over the piano and….well you can guess the rest…."

Sam had gone pale, but Blaine wasn't finished. "So, you said you would do _whatever_ you could to help me? Let's try something…come here, onto the bed. And hug me. Kiss me. Get me off Sam. After all you said that you would do _anything_. Maybe that could get the old Blaine back, a Blam make out session…"

"You don't mean it Blaine," Sam stuttered. "You're testing me, trying to shock me. I won't work. Not on me. I know you too well"

"Really Sam? You're not willing to risk it though by coming over here, are you? Don't trust me enough. Maybe I'll just have to come over to you instead…."

Before Sam could even speak, Blaine was up and moving towards him. The look in his eyes terrified him. He had never seen him like this - crazed and not caring about what he was about to do. Sam realised that he had to move. If he let him get to him, their friendship would be ruined by the worst possible means - the breaking of the boundaries between a gay and a straight man. Reluctantly, he stepped backwards into the hall. Blaine followed, forcing Sam to stumble backwards, towards the top of the stairs. Suddenly, he found that he was unable to keep his emotions in check anymore. He burst into tears and started to beg Blaine to stop. Now he stood at the top of the stairs, teetering on the lip of the top step. Still Blaine advanced, as if he meant to push Sam down the stairs.

"Blaine, stop, please. Just stop. Do you want me to get hurt like you. Is that it? Do you want to break me? Or worse, be dead like Kurt? Two deaths for you to feel responsible for? Would you like that? Mike was right, you are sick. You need help. I naively thought that that help could come from me. Clearly not."

Blaine stopped, his eyes no longer blazing. And began to tear up instead, as if realisation had come. But it was too late - Sam was slumped on the floor sobbing, flinching when Blaine stretched out a hand to apologise, to comfort him. He turned back towards his room in tears, and heard the sound of running feet, of the front door slamming. Sam, his best friend was gone. He had driven him away.

Sam ran down the drive of the Anderson house, his tears streaming unchecked down his face. Out onto the sidewalk, to a spot where he could collapse, bury his head in his hands and sob. He was torn apart - his best friend had turned on him and it hurt so much. Back inside, Blaine was equally distraught, but was reacting in a different way. The contents of his room were being thrown about, some of it flying out of the open window. Little seemed sacred - Kurt Unicorn, and his framed photographs of Kurt remained untouched, as did his scrapbooks. All the rest, books, clothes and furnishings fell victim. It was to this scene that Cooper returned.


	11. Day 4 : Cooper

**Day 4 : Cooper **

For the short time that Cooper had been away, he had been able to forget. Focus on the price of basic groceries and not on the increasingly disturbed state of his little brother. Nonetheless, he had ensured that he had bought all of Blaine's favourites, whilst avoiding anything that Kurt had liked. Remove all possible triggers, he thought and maybe he could have just one day when a kind of normality resumed. Now, driving home, Cooper contemplated on just how he could make things better; get his brother back out of his dark funk and into the light of the land of the living. The reaction to Brittany's gift had given him some, albeit fleeting, hope for the future. He could even hazard a smile as he turned into the street.

Almost instantly, that smile was wiped off his face by the scene before him. He brought the car to a halt next to the sobbing form of Sam Evans. Walked over to him, tentatively whispering his name. Sam looked up, his face a map of grief and pain, then promptly bolted for his car, before Cooper could even speak again. He proceeded to tear off, well in excess of the speed limit, leaving Cooper aghast. Something had gone badly wrong. That much was obvious. And then he became aware of the noise of something breaking, coming from the house, and he was running, car and groceries abandoned. Past a lawn decorated with books and clothing, through the door, up the stairs and straight into his brother's room.

"Blaine, what on earth…?" began Cooper. His brother span round, his face a seething red, his rage unveiled. The book that was in his hand was suddenly launched at Cooper, missing his head by inches. Before he could pick anything else up, Cooper darted forward, and tackled Blaine back on to the bed, pinning his arms to his side. Arms that seemed determined to fight….and Cooper finally lost it. "What the hell, Blaine? What has got into you? I know you're grieving but throwing the contents of your room out of the window…? That's insane. Just insane. Throwing it at me - not a good idea, Squirt. Because I am pretty much all you've got just now, seeing as you're determined to drive everyone else that cares about you away with your behaviour. I mean, what on earth did you do to Sam? He's supposed to be your best friend, yet he just tore off like a bat out of hell….."

Then he realised that Blaine was no longer struggling to get free. His body was still shaking, but with sobs. Sobs interspersed with mumbled apologies. "I want to help you, I really do Blaine," said Cooper, choking back his own tears, "but I can't when you are like this. I love you so much, but it's starting to get too much for me. I know this is hard, but it is just as hard for me. I loved Kurt too Blaine. I'm grieving for him too, but what's worse is that I can see you vanishing before my eyes, Blaine. I'm scared that I'm going to lose you. I wish that I could do more, but I can't" With that, Cooper found himself crying, matching his brother sob for sob.

Eventually, Blaine calmed down, but remained silent to all of Cooper's questions about events with Sam. The more he pushed, the more agitated he became. Cooper did realise one thing - he needed peace to deal with the aftermath of the latest visitor to the Anderson household. So he resorted to something that filled him with guilt. On arriving back to the house from New York, Cooper had found in the medicine cabinet a box of sleeping powders that their mother had been prescribed some months before. Now he made one up for Blaine, who unknowingly drank it down. Minutes later he was curled up fast asleep on his bed, allowing Cooper a chance to retrieve the shopping, and to gather up the items scattered around the garden. To restore some semblance of order to his brother's room. And to finally make a call to get some much needed advice.

Since the death of his son, Burt Hummel had placed his life on hold. Congressional business was ignored, his garage unvisited. A major problem had arisen when his assistant at Congress had resigned; but replacing her was on hold. He had to grieve first. He worried of course for his son's friends; for Carole, facing this trauma so soon again after Finn, and most of all, for Blaine. He knew how close the two boys had been. Far too close in a way for his liking, and all he was hearing about the way Blaine was acting was giving him cause for concern. That concern was about to be raised another notch.

Sam had been staying with the Hummel's since just before the funeral. When he had announced that he wasn't heading back to New York as he wanted to stay close to Blaine, Burt had been pleased. His presence made the house feel less empty, gave Carole someone to look after. His sudden return that afternoon, preceded by the terrible screeching of brakes, made Burt start. The slamming front door, the thunder of feet as they charged upstairs all added up to only one thing - trouble. Following Sam upstairs, he was startled to find the blond boy sobbing his heart out on the floor of the guest room, flinching as Burt placed a hand on his shoulder. Then sobbing into his chest. No words were exchanged; Burt knew where he had been, so accepted that as the cause of his misery. Eventually, he seemed to calm, then announced, "I need to pack. I'm going back to New York. Today. The sooner the better."

Burt knew in his heart that their was no point in arguing with him - something had happened whilst he had been with Blaine to upset him so much that he could no longer bear to stay in Lima. All he could do was to offer to drive him to the airport when he was ready to go. Sam expressed his thanks and Burt left him to start his packing. He fully intended to press Sam for details on the way to the airport. Get to the root of his rushed departure. He was considering this as the phone began to ring. It was Cooper, and he, like Sam, was in a state.

"I don't think that I can carry on like this for much longer Burt. He just keeps on getting worse, pushing everyone away, but today was the worst so far. I left him with Sam for no more than half an hour - I came back to find Sam sobbing on the sidewalk and Blaine throwing the contents of his bedroom out of the window. I had to physically restrain him Burt to stop him throwing things at me. The only reason that I can even talk to you now is that I gave him one of our mother's sleeping powders. I had to drug my brother, Burt. I feel so guilty, but I had no option. I'm so tired and he's just - I have this horrible feeling that he is going to end up in an asylum. I need help, but my parents are useless, and in this instance, so am I."

Cooper burst into an uncontrollable bout of sobbing at this point. Yet he managed to somehow carry on. "The worst thing of all, Burt, is that I feel that the old Blaine is gone, for good. That no matter what I do, my old brother is gone, replaced by a new, nasty version. His mental state has changed so drastically. I've seen him at low points before; after he was attacked at the Sadie Hawkins dance - but that was nothing like this. I hate myself for saying this, even thinking it - but I wish that he had died that night with Kurt. It would have been better for him, for all of us. I hate the idea, but…it would have been better…."

"I know how you can feel that, Cooper. You shouldn't beat yourself up for it. The poor kid is broken, destroyed by a pain, a grief that no-one should ever have to feel, let alone a teenager. He blames himself, Cooper. I'd say I know him reasonably well; he'll be blaming himself for all of this. He's lashing out at everyone else because he can't understand why we aren't blaming him. Every time he does it though, it makes him hate himself even more. I don't know what went down with Sam today, but he's upstairs, packing. To go back to New York, today. But he'll mend; he has the others. Problem with Blaine is that only one person can fix him. The one person that can't come and help him - Kurt."

Burt continued. "I'm not saying that drugging Blaine was the best thing you could have done in this situation. If he is having nightmares, then basically you've just locked him into them for a few hours. Then again, his life is a bit of a living nightmare just now. If it gives you peace to collect your thoughts, get things done then maybe it's ok. I'll talk to Carole for you, get a more professional opinion. Maybe she knows someone at the hospital who could talk to Blaine, as a favour to a colleague, seeing as your darn parents won't face up to their responsibilities and help. If there is anyone at fault in all of this Cooper, it's them. At least you're around."

After a few more minutes talk and profuse thanks from Cooper, the younger man rang off to go and tidy the garden, leaving Burt staring at the phone. His heart felt heavy, burdened with his own pain, and that of Blaine. And then there was poor innocent Sam, running off to New York. The attack and its aftermath was slowly tearing everyone, everything apart. The ripples still rolled out, unleashing hurt. The majority of those caught up in the maelstrom were so young, so unprepared for it. They had barely survived the death of Finn; the death of Kurt had battered them; Blaine's breakdown was shattering much that had survived the storm so far. Burt's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Sam, packed and ready. His eyes red and hollow.

On the drive to the airport, Burt managed to get Sam to open up and tell him what had taken place. To say that Burt was shocked by what he heard would have been an understatement. That Blaine could turn on his best friend in such a way… And the whole notion of Kurt Unicorn was disturbing. The boy needed professional help. If it could not be got for free, then he would pay for it. He owed it to Kurt to take care of Blaine, before it was too late. Maybe it already was. As he watched Sam vanish into the terminal, Burt resolved not to tell Cooper what had taken place that day. It would only make things worse - and he was starting to feel that maybe Cooper was right. Maybe it would have been better if they had both died.

Cooper made the most of his time whilst Blaine slept. He tidied the garden and sorted out his brother's room. He tried in vain to reach his parents, eventually talking to their housekeeper, who seemed more concerned for his and Blaine's health than his parents ever had, asking that he gave her love to Blaine. After that, he slept himself for a few hours, waking just before the medication would wear off. Before he knew what he was doing, he was making up a second sleeping draught and giving it to Blaine to drink. To get himself another 8 hours of tranquillity; the change to recharge and to think. Did he really want to send Blaine to a psychiatrist? And if he did, could he live with himself if he ended up being locked away?

It was late when Sam knocked on the door at Bushwick. It took a few minutes to eventually rouse Santana from her bed to let him in. she gave him a quizzical look, then just said "Blaine?" The next thing she knew she had a sobbing Sam in her arms as Rachel and Brittany looked on, before eventually coming over to wrap their own arms around him in a group hug. Things seemed to be getting worse as time went on; only the strength that they got from each other was keeping them going and pulling them through. Once Brittany had gone back to bed, Sam told a shocked Santana and Rachel what had happened, leaving them horror struck. They were out of their depth on this. The time had come to bring in someone with the necessary specialist knowledge to aid their grieving friend.


	12. Day 4 : Elizabeth

**Day 4 : Elizabeth**

Elizabeth Hummel was sitting in her office, working her way through another pile of papers. In just over a decade since her arrival, she had worked her way up from the bottom to a position almost at the top. It had not been easy. The job had seemed a lot less simple when Finn's name had been given to her. She did not really know the boy, but he was close to her son and Burt. She could not imagine what Carole would go through when she lost her child. She had worried at first how Finn would react at being placed in the care of a woman he did not know, except from an image in old photographs. They had bonded quickly, the broken young man grateful for someone who knew people he had been so close to. She in her turn had been glad to return the love Carole had for Kurt to Finn.

It had been a different story when at that meeting a few months ago, that particular name had been placed in front of her. To be informed so bluntly that her son's life was about to end, and in such a violent way had nearly broken her. It was her turn to face grief and pain, but in her case, Kurt's death would bring him back to her. She knew she could not change it - her only comfort had been the other information on the sheet. Then it had all gone so horribly wrong.

She could see that Kurt was suffering, despite being with her and Finn. He missed Blaine, that much was evident. He could no longer bear to watch as Blaine went on without him - after the funeral, he had admitted to her quietly that it broke his heart and as such, he just had to step back. It had not stopped him from crying himself to sleep every night since. Finn had taken over the task of watching over his stepbrother's fiancé on a daily basis. His reports were not good. Without his soulmate's presence, Blaine was falling apart. His own soul was rotting away; he was becoming everything that he would have formerly despised.

Today's report was the worst yet. That he would do that to his best friend showed just how swiftly he was falling. By her reckoning, if things did not come to a head in the next 72 hours, then it would be too late. His soul would be irretrievably damaged and the boy that her son had known and loved would never be back. Worse still, the damage would affect Kurt too - he was already morose and short tempered; he spent hours alone, often flying aimlessly around, his eyes stained with tears. She silently cursed the angel that had failed them that night - he had only to do one small thing and he still could not manage it. Still, in 3 days, it would be resolved. Already, the one key factor in commencing that process was set in motion - then things would move swiftly to the inevitable conclusion.

Everything had to go right this time. Had to. She could sense that once again her son was crying; that Blaine was trapped in another round of nightmares; that Cooper was reaching the end of his tether. As for poor Sam, his whole world had just been turned upside down - and worse would come for him if the plan failed. That any of it was necessary still broke her heart. Those two had been through so much trauma already, with both having suffered physical and verbal abuse just for being who they were. Nothing could go wrong now - and afterwards, once everything was back on track, two boys would hopefully be able to get their souls back on track.


	13. Day 5 : Ambien

**Day 5 : Ambien**

When Blaine woke up the following day, it was with a sense of enormous relief. He had suffered through hours of relentless nightmares of blood, despair and death. He had seen Kurt's face over and over again. He had tried to wake himself up, but couldn't. Something was wrong there - any other time he had managed it, but not last night. He was also so thirsty and so hungry. He quietly made his way down to the kitchen, drawn by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the hint of frying bacon. He paused on the threshold to breathe in the two wonderful smells. As he stood there, able to see in but not noticed, he saw his brother making up a powder in a glass of orange juice. A glass which he placed on a tray. From the box sitting on the counter, Blaine realised what was going on.

"Morning Coop," he called out, startling his brother. "Something smells good. Coffee and bacon. Is that my breakfast on the tray? That is so thoughtful of you. Bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, a good cup of coffee…and a glass of freshly _drugged_ OJ…." The look of fear on Cooper's face shocked Blaine. Was his brother scared of him? "_Like Sam?_" said a small voice in the back of his head. "So is that what we have come to now? Spiking my drinks with Ambien? Kind of explains why I slept so soundly last night, apart from the fact that I was trapped in a raging nightmare. I'll just leave the OJ if that's alright. I assume that the coffee is drug free?" With that, Blaine sat down to eat.

Cooper let his brother eat in silence, and only when he was done did he finally speak. "I'm sorry Blaine, I just…. I just couldn't handle how you were yesterday. I needed some time to think, and so, yes, I drugged you. I didn't want to, but I saw no other option. And once I'd done it once, it was so easy to do it the next time. Would I have kept doing it if you hadn't caught me? You know the answer to that. I'm losing you Blaine. I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I'm doing it all myself and maybe I can't. Maybe I should get someone in who knows how to deal with this. I don't want to, but after yesterday…. I don't know what exactly you did to Sam, but he's gone - he flew back to New York in a hurry last night…"

He waited for Blaine to lash out at him; to scream back; to throw the remains of his breakfast across the room. Instead, he sat, head bowed and drank the last of his coffee. In complete silence. If anything, that scared Cooper more. At the same time it offered a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe his brother was coming back, so ashamed of his recent actions that he could not speak. Or it could just be the calm before the storm. As the silence lengthened, all Cooper wanted was for Blaine to say something, anything, just to show that he was alright. Finally, his breakfast finished, he spoke. "Is Sam ok? I didn't mean….I keep screwing up, don't I? I think I'll go back up to my room. Can you leave me alone today…I need to think…"

He did not look at his brother as he shuffled out of the room - it was as if he didn't dare. Blaine was only thankful that Cooper did not know the truth about his virtual attack on Sam - how close he had come to physically assaulting him. His best friend. His last friend probably, he thought sadly. Even if he had told Burt, then it would go no further, thankfully. Otherwise everyone, even Brittany would end up hating him, and they would be right to. He couldn't bare to look at himself in the mirror, to see clearly what he had become. Bitter, twisted and evil. A caricature of himself. Malicious, nasty, cruel - and lonely, so very, very lonely. As he climbed the stairs, shuffled to his room, Blaine began to break apart into even more pieces, his life shattering before his very eyes.

An hour or so later, Cooper was concerned to hear his brother talking as he passed his firmly closed bedroom door. Pouring his heart out to Kurt Unicorn. "Well, I've outdone myself now, Kurt. Driven everyone away that can go - even Coop would like to go and once he can get me into some sort of institution, he'll be back to Los Angeles as fast as he can. Can't say I blame him either…. Why did you have to go, Kurt? Why didn't you run when you had the chance, and left me to face them alone? I'd have forgiven you. Or better still, why didn't they just finish the job on me? Let me die too, so that we could still be together, wherever you are now."

"I know that neither of us believe in the whole God thing, but I've always had the faith that our souls go somewhere when we die. It's the one thing that's keeping me going; the belief that when I die, you'll be there, waiting for me. Your eyes sparkling, your smile wide, your arms outstretched to pull me into a hug, to make me feel whole again. And then it will be you and me, for all eternity. Together, never to be parted again. I hope that I can come soon, Kurt, because without you, there's nothing. I miss you so much. It's like when we broke up, but without the hope. Just the knowledge that as long as my heart beats, as long as I breathe, I'm alone. I just want it to stop Kurt. How do I make it stop?"

Cooper heard his brother begin to sob and his heart broke. All he wanted to do was make it better for him. At that moment, he would do anything that he asked him to achieve that, bar one thing. Help him kill himself - that he just couldn't do. Just now, he knew what he had to do. He opened the door, stepped over to Blaine and took him in his arms. Held him as he cried again. Apologised for what he had resorted to, promising not to do it again. He was startled when Blaine asked him to. To give him the Ambien so he could escape from reality for a while. One glass of OJ later, and he was locked into a nightmare filled sleep once more.

For the remainder of that day, Cooper lay at his brother's side, holding him. When he awoke later, he still remained with him, leaving him only to fix drinks and to collect the pizza delivery. For Blaine's part, he let himself sink into his brother's arms, losing himself in the warmth and comfort of a fraternal embrace. Just before he drank his next dose of Ambien that night, he made a request. "As of now Coop, it's just you and me. No New Directions, none of their parents. No McKinley staff and nobody that I sang with in the Warblers. I just can't deal with any of them. Just you and me until I say otherwise. Promise?" And Cooper did, not sure however if it was one that he could keep for long. Just now, a yes was all that Blaine needed to hear.


	14. Day 6 : Meerkat

_Thanks for continuing to read. No prizes for guessing who isn't covered by Blaine's visitor rules. _

**Day 6 : Meerkat**

The next day began much the same as the one before. Cooper prepared a hearty breakfast and Blaine ate it in silence. This time, however, he did not retreat to his bedroom, instead making his way into the den to watch trashy daytime television. Kurt had never understood how he could bare to watch it; now it was a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of life. Lunch came and went, with Blaine eating well again. This pleased Cooper immensely, as he had not done so since the night of Kurt's death. He began to hope that a corner had been turned. But every day has its surprises, and one was approaching from the airport….

Sebastian Smythe had never been a real friend of either Blaine or Kurt. He had tried to split them up more than once, usually by trying to get into Blaine's pants. He had nearly cost Blaine the sight in one eye, and made several blatant attempts to woo him back to the Warblers. He had redeemed himself slightly by aiding Blaine with his proposal, to the extent that he and Kurt could be in the same room without trading death threats. He had been in London when he had heard that Kurt had been murdered and Blaine seriously injured on the night before their wedding. It had taken him nearly two weeks to do, but he had sorted out his affairs in England, and was back in Ohio. On his way to Westerville to visit Blaine. By a quirk of fate, he was the one exception to the rules that Blaine had laid down over visitors.

Cooper had just brought his brother a cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. Blaine immediately looked at him with a stare that stated wordlessly 'remember the rules.' With a nod, Cooper made his way to the door, fully prepared to refuse entry - expect possibly to Sue Sylvester, because, to be frank, she petrified him. When he opened the door to reveal the young man that Kurt had referred to as the Meerkat boy, he was surprised to say the least. And worried. Because he did not fit into any of the categories on the list. After all, he had only joined the Warblers after Blaine had transferred to McKinley. Nonetheless, it was set down, there were to be no visitors.

It had taken Cooper seconds to process this, but where Sebastian was concerned, that was too long; even as he was opening his mouth to say that Blaine wasn't up to visitors, Sebastian was walking past him and into the house, heading directly for the den, from which the sound of the television could be heard. Sebastian was used to getting what he wanted, either through chance or sheer audacity. After a quick double take, Cooper was after him, to pull him back and throw him out. The walk, however, was short and he had a good head start on him. All he could think was here we go again. All the progress that had been made was about to be wiped out in seconds. He was already mentally preparing yet another dose of Ambien.

Blaine had sat silently as he heard the door open, taking a sip of coffee. The sound of his brother's voice yelling at someone to stop filled him with dread. Why hadn't Cooper put on the security chain? Typical of his brother's sloppy thinking. 'Here we go again Kurt,' Blaine thought. 'Who now? My money is on a Warbler - none of them have shown up yet. Please don't let it be Nick and Jeff, because they'll just remind me of what I've lost. If it's Wes, then hopefully no gavel. Unless he wants me to shove it somewhere that he won't like. Trent I could just about handle….' Then the door was flung open. He had been right, it was a Warbler - just the last one that he ever would have expected.

"Now this is a shock. Of all the people I know, you are the last one I could have predicted turning up. Aren't you supposed to be in England? Have they deported you for something? Why on earth are you here? Come to gloat over Kurt's death and suggest that you are available? Damn it, Sebastian, I never even thought to put you on my banned list. Probably just barged on in anyway…" He noticed an apologetic Cooper nod. "Always were the boy that couldn't accept no for an answer. However many times I said it. Coop, get him a coffee. I'm in the mood for some of his snarkiness. Then when he is finished, I'll give him a good tongue lashing, and send him on his way with his tail between his legs as usual."

"A good tongue lashing Blaine? And here was I thinking that you would be grieving Kurt and not up for any fun…" Sebastian smirked at him, and Blaine blushed before groaning. "Trust me, after a few months in England you learn to spot every double entendre going. In answer to your question, I'm not here to gloat. And I'd like my coffee black with two thanks." Cooper shook his head and went to pour a cup. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. It was almost as if the two of them enjoyed sparring verbally with each other…

"Why am I here," Sebastian continued. "To claim back my title of course." Blaine looked at him quizzically. "I've always been the bitchiest of the Warblers, but my spies inform me that you are attempting to steal my title. I hear you have successfully alienated every New Direction out there. You've even outdone Satan, which is an achievement. My spy is Thad by the way, in case you were wondering. Fact is, this just isn't the way the Blaine I know and love acts. It's probably grief, coupled with a very large dose of _it__'__s all my fault_. Which it isn't by the way. I am truly sorry for your loss. Kurt was never my biggest fan or vice versa, but he was good for you - and the amount of love you had for each other was frankly sickening. I would have been back sooner, but I had some things to sort out before I could come home. You know, when I woke up that morning and saw the text about what had happened, I felt numb. If I hadn't been so tired, I'd still have been up when it came the night before at 11.30..."

The sound of a coffee cup hitting the floor and smashing interrupted Sebastian. Both he and Blaine turned to see Cooper standing staring at them wide eyed. "You got a text the night of the accident, at 11.30? In London, with your cell phone set to local time?" Sebastian looked at him curiously and nodded. Cooper felt himself turning cold, the colour draining from his face. "You are not making this up, you still have the text?" Again a nod from Sebastian. "Oh God, that's…..oh God!" Cooper noticed that Blaine was now staring at him in confusion. He gulped and realised that he had to spell it out. "Sebastian got the message at 11.30pm BST. Saying that something had happened to you and Kurt. At that moment it was 6.30pm in New York…." A sharp intake of breath came from Sebastian as he grasped the implications of what Cooper was saying. "Blaine, you and Kurt weren't even at your party then. Whoever sent that text….."

It hit Blaine like a ton of bricks, head on. The awful realisation that it was no accident, no wrong place, wrong time scenario. He and Kurt had been targeted by someone that Sebastian knew. Potentially someone that he knew. Who harboured that much hatred towards them that they would rob Kurt of his life and him of his future? "Who sent that text, Sebastian? For the love of God, who was it? Who did this to Kurt, to me?" With a sigh, Sebastian, looking heartbroken and horrified, uttered the words

"_Hunter Clarington.__"_


	15. Day 6 : Realisation

**Day 6 : Realisation**

There were many moments in his life that Blaine had captured in his memory all too vividly; his father's face when he came out; Kurt standing at the foot of a spiral staircase; Kurt singing _Blackbird_ and the realisation that he was in love; their first kiss; their first time; two prom nights; the moment that Kurt had said yes back on that staircase. The sound of Kurt's screams as they were attacked and the moment he heard that he had died were stored too. But all faded in comparison to the scene he was witnessing now. His brother holding himself up on the back of a chair, a pool of coffee nearby on the parquet floor; Sebastian rearing up as he realised the enormity of the situation. Feeling his own blood running icy cold through his veins.

He became aware that Cooper was talking about the police, how they had to let them know; Sebastian agreeing, his voice thick. "If I'd read the text at the time, called Wes to confirm the details… I could have alerted people that something was wrong. Stopped it happening. I could have saved Kurt, if I hadn't been asleep…." and with that Sebastian began to cry. Blaine found himself getting up to hold him, comfort him. To murmur the words "Not your fault" in his ear. Because it wasn't. It was Hunter that had done this - he was to blame. The only thing puzzling Blaine was why…and then his memory helpfully provided him with the answer he sought.

It had been just after the scandal concerning the Warblers use of steroids had been exposed. Hunter had been expelled from Dalton. Blaine had been at the Lima Bean when Hunter had walked in, and saw him, sitting there with Sam, Trent and Finn. He had marched over to the table and threatened them. Told them that they would pay for destroying his life; that he would destroy their lives one by one in revenge. It had been laughed off at the time as bluster and bravado, as the final symptoms of roid rage. By him, Sam, Trent and Finn. It now seemed as if he had meant every word. He had killed Kurt and destroyed Blaine's life. Just as he had promised he would do….

Cooper was on the telephone now to the NYPD officer in charge of the investigation, telling her what they had just discovered. 'All be over soon,' thought Blaine. Kurt's killer would be locked up…but he hadn't been alone. What if his gang went after Sam or Trent? They needed protection - it was too late for Finn…..and Blaine felt dizzy as a horrific realisation came to him. Finn had died in a road accident, when the brakes on his car had failed. Brakes that Burt had checked less than two weeks before. What if he and Kurt hadn't been the first target? What if it had been Finn? Poor innocent Finn, killed for alerting the authorities to the situation at Dalton. If that was true, neither Carole or Rachel would forgive him. For that matter, he couldn't forgive himself for it either.

Blaine knew what he had to do. He jumped up and snatched the phone from his brother. After a brief introduction, he began. "I know why Hunter would be doing this. My high school choir was in a competition with his. We lost out to them. My friend, Sam Evans, however, was not happy - he thought that their routines were too staged, too athletic given what we knew of them. We also realised that one guy, an old friend of mine, Trent Nixon, was no longer in the group. I knew that he had always lived for the Warblers, so I sought him out. From him, we uncovered the truth. He had been thrown out by Hunter when he had refused to take the steroids that Hunter was blackmailing the rest of the choir into taking."

"Trent agreed to go with us and our choir leader, Finn Hudson, my fiancé's stepbrother, to the authorities. The result was the exposure of the Warblers and their expulsion from the competition. This in turn lead to Hunter's expulsion from Dalton Academy. About 2 days after that, myself, Sam, Trent and Finn were having a coffee together when Hunter appeared. He told us we had ruined his life and he was going to do the same to all of us, one by one, in revenge. We all laughed it off at the time as just empty threats. Finn Hudson died in a car crash a few months later. His brakes had failed. His car had been checked over by Burt Hummel, Kurt's mechanic father just under two weeks before and everything was in order."

"Two weeks ago, Kurt and I were attacked on the eve of our wedding. Leaving me alone. My life is as good as over without Kurt. It has been destroyed. I'm convinced that Finn's accident wasn't an accident at all, but made to look like one." He paused and noticed both Cooper and Sebastian staring at him in shock. "If I'm right, then you need to protect my friends. Because Hunter wasn't alone. Even if you capture him, his associates may take revenge on Sam and Trent for him. I know that all this sounds so incredible, but if Hunter did this to me, and possibly to Finn, then he will be after them too."

Blaine gave the phone back to a stunned and silent Cooper, and went to stand staring out the window. The sky was blue, the birds sang, the world went on. In the distance, a bank of dark clouds was approaching. 'It all goes on,' Blaine thought, ' but I can't. Even though it will cause so much pain, I just can't go on. Not now. Not now that I know that just by being with me, Kurt was killed. By association with me, Finn was killed. How do I face them all now? How do I face Trent and Sam, their lives in danger because of me? Better to go, and to go soon. Before I get worse. I know how, and I know where. Just when exactly. But soon. I need to be with Kurt. Soon.'

He had no idea quite how long he stood at the window, but by the time he turned back into the room, Sebastian was gone, and Cooper was mopping up the spilt coffee. "He's gone to the sheriff's office so they can record his phone message. He has already forwarded it to New York. They've set out to arrest Hunter already - they had his name and address on file for a traffic violation. They've sent someone to Trent in Washington DC and to Bushwick for Sam. They're going to get Finn's car checked out again - it's still in the pound in Columbus. It's nearly over with Blaine - justice is going to be served."

"Shame that it is too late for Kurt and Finn though. If there was any real justice, they'd be alive. Me, I'd be dead. Kurt would have gotten over me in time. Do you know something Coop? I wish I had just ignored Sam and gone back to Dalton. Kurt would never have forgiven me; certainly would never have agreed to marry me. He'd be alive to live his dreams with somebody else, under Finn's watchful eye. I'd just be a tragic footnote in his past. Probably addicted to steroids, but alive and unbroken. That would have been a just world. This living hell is not justice and never will be. No matter what they do to Hunter, I'll still be alone, still be hurting. Kurt and Finn will still be gone. And that's all my fault Coop - don't even try to argue with me on this, it's all my fault."

At that point, the sheriff and one of his deputies had arrived to make a formal record of what Blaine had said to them over the phone. He had repeated everything word for word, sitting in the comfortable surroundings of his father's study. Blaine was grateful that they had arrived when they had. It meant that his evidence was on formal record and could be used, even if he was no longer around. It had also postponed his argument with Cooper. The minute they left, it started again. Cooper tried to argue, as any brother would in the situation, that it wasn't his fault. However, telling Blaine he was crazy was not a wise move. All it did was spark their most heated argument yet. Insults were traded, inner feelings were revealed, their lives laid bare. The crux of the situation was Cooper's assertion that it was nearly over. Because for Blaine it would never be over - the only thing that was over was his life. He no longer felt worth anything. In the end, Blaine decided that he could no longer bear to sit in the house with Cooper - he had to escape. The joy of the automatic gear box was that, despite his injuries, Blaine could still, if he was careful, drive himself to somewhere safe. In this case, the one place he had always felt welcome and accepted. He just hoped that he would still be welcome at the Hummel house.

As Blaine began to drive, Sam was sitting alone in the loft at Bushwick, Two police officers had just left, having told him that his life was potentially in danger, and that they were going to be keeping him under guard. He had been asked to give over his parents' address in Kentucky, as they felt that it was best to place them under protection too. When Sam heard why it was taking place, he broke down. If it was true, then two lives had been lost for the sake of a show choir; lives taken away by a maniac. The worst thing was that he had been forbidden to reveal anything to the girls and Trent was too far away. He thought of calling Blaine, got as far as bringing up the number, but in the end, he realised that the bridges there had been burnt. Even if he did agree to speak to him, there was nothing that either of them could really say to provide comfort. Sam had never felt so alone in his life.


	16. Day 6 : Burt's Visitors

**Day 6 : Burt's visitors**

Burt Hummel was a good man who tried to live his life in a spirit of tolerance and understanding. Although he denied it, his presence in Congress had helped many liberal causes; he was admired and respected, even by his political opponents. This was the reason why he had received such an outpouring of sympathy when Kurt died, so soon after his stepson. The arrival of Lima's sheriff that afternoon to tell him that his son's killers had been identified had left him with mixed emotions. Joy that justice was being done, grief at knowing that it was deliberate and horror at the suggestion that Finn's death might also have been murder. He had not told Carole that final fact when she had woken up from her afternoon nap, not when she was headed back to work for the first time since Kurt's death that night.

It was in this state that his first visitors that night found him. They did not have to knock; they came straight to his side; although it had been some years since her last visit, he sensed Elizabeth's presence immediately. "It's been a long time Lizzie. Please tell me you're not alone." He looked up to see his first wife and his son standing in front of him. He instantly began to tear up, as did Kurt.

"Now boys," said Elizabeth, "time for that later. We are here for a reason Burt. You are about to get another visitor - Blaine. He's coming to say goodbye. He's coming to tell you that he is going to commit suicide. And we need you, Burt, to tell him that he should do it if he wants."

Burt looked at his wife with incredulity. Before he could speak, Kurt spoke up. "I know dad, it goes against every feeling that you've ever had. Problem is, he has to die dad. He should have died with me in that alley. He was meant to; that was his time, as set out in the grand scheme. But things went wrong - a moment of neglect from one angel, and he lives. If he doesn't die soon, then his mind will go. You know how he has been since I died. I've been much the same - mom and Finn are being driven to distraction. If he carries on, he'll be much worse than he has been. He'll just be suffering if he goes on…and other people will end up being hurt, and I mean physically, not mentally. So I'm asking you for his sake, for mine, don't stop him when he says he wants to die. Tell him it's ok."

Burt looked at his son - his pale skin radiant, his glasz eyes shining; at his first wife with a look of grief on her face. "Don't get to argue on this one, do I? Not when the two of you gang up on me. I'm not happy about this, but I can see where you are coming from. Blaine is miserable, irritable and full of hatred. Not himself. And I miss the old Blaine. Problem here is that he is like a son to me - and I've lost two this year already. It's going to be hard to tell my last one that it's ok to kill himself. If it has to be, then it has to be. Just bring him back here after so that I can see he's ok."

The sound of a car drawing up outside was Elizabeth's signal to leave with Kurt. "That's him now, Burt. I appreciate what you are about to do. I know it goes against your better judgement, but trust me, this is the only way that we can save Blaine - and by connection, Kurt - from any more pain. If there was any other choice then we'd take it. We'll come back after he leaves, so that you and Kurt can have a chat." With that, Burt was alone again, until the knock on the door that meant he had to convince a young man to end his life.

It came soon enough, and Burt hurried to let Blaine in. He hardly recognised him. Gone was his son's neat, dapper, smiling fiancé - in his place was a scruffy, miserable waif, with a stammering, nervous voice. "Hey Burt, can I come in? I need to talk to someone other than Cooper about something. It's kind of private - it's about my future."

"Course you can come in, kid. Carole is on night shift, so the company would be good. On top of which, I've been worried about you. Haven't seen you since the funeral and none of the stories that I have been hearing have been good. So, I'm all ears - that's what family is about, and you are still my family, always will be. More than ever now - you've been like a son to me ever since you and Kurt got together and now you are the only kid I've got left to look out for."

"That's great to hear Burt. The problem is it makes what I have to say to you all the harder to say. Since Kurt died, and especially since the funeral, I've turned into a complete asshole. Driven away all my friends; trashed my room; driven Cooper close to the nut house. Heck, my best friend now is a toy unicorn that Brittany sent me, ever since I….well, I guess you know what I did to Sam. He'd have told you. Today, I had Sebastian Smythe demanding that I let him resume his place as bitchiest Warbler. And then….well you know what his visit let us discover. And maybe I'm wrong about Finn, but if I'm not…. It all just seems to lead back to me, Burt…."

Before Burt could interrupt, he continued. "So I've been doing a lot of thinking since and I've decided that it would be best for everyone, including me, if I went away. I've been thinking of _going away_ for the last few days and now I'm convinced that it is the best solution for everybody. Cooper gets his own life back and maybe keeps his sanity. My friends get to stop worrying about what new insanity I'm going to do next. As for me, well once I'm away from here, from all the memories and reminders, maybe I will be happy again. Actually, I'm positive that I will be. The pain will ease and the anger will dissipate. The only thing that worries me is how people will cope with my leaving. Do you think I'm doing the right thing Burt? Or should I stop being selfish and stay for everyone else."

Burt yearned to say "Yes, Blaine, you are being selfish. It's hard, but you have to go on. Live your life for Kurt, make him proud of you as he watches from above. Imagine his joy when you are the King of Broadway, when you achieve all those goals that you set." He had to do it when Elizabeth had died after all. But he wasn't allowed - it did not fit in with the grand scheme of things. So he merely sighed and said, "Kid, I can't tell you what the right thing is here. Sure, I don't want you to _go away_. Darn sure that none of your friends want you to either. You just have to do what's right for you. Forget about me, Cooper, Sam and all the rest - the only guy that matters here is Blaine Anderson."

"I don't know who he is anymore, Burt. The old one that everyone loved never left that alley in Manhattan. This new version, he just hurts people. What I've done to Sam, Tina, Puck and Santana, that's unforgivable. As for Cooper and Emma, they should be made saints for their endurance. Only Brittany truly escaped. It's just that without our Kurt, life is so bleak, lonely and exhausting. I'm so tired all the time; I think that it's all the crying. Regardless of what road I take here, people are going to be hurt. I think that if I go away now though, then the pain will be less. And the old me will still be fresh in their minds."

"Sounds to me kid as if you have already come to your decision. It's your choice and we just have to live with it. So take it you're intending to _go away _sooner rather than later?"

Blaine nodded. "No point in waiting around now I've decided - I'll go tomorrow, first thing, before Cooper can stop me. I should go now and get ready Burt - which I guess means that this is goodbye. I'm going to miss you; you've always been so good to me, even when I have messed up. I can never thank you enough. I love you so much…" Blaine broke off to envelop Burt in a hug, which was swiftly reciprocated.

"Going to miss you too, son. I hope that you find what you are looking for when you get to your destination, and that you will be happy. I'm pretty sure that you will."

With tears in his eyes, Burt watched as Blaine drove slowly away, waving at the car until it vanished round the bend. He made his way back into the house, shut the door and slumped against it sobbing. Almost at once he could hear Kurt's tearful voice telling him that he loved him, thanking him and telling him to stop crying. He longed to feel his son's arms wrapped around him just one more time. To know that he was really ok, and that Blaine would be too. Raising his eyes, he caught sight of Elizabeth. "I never want to be put in that position again Lizzie. I can't help but feel that I've just told Blaine to kill himself, and that's the last thing I wanted. My only consolation is that it will send him back to you, Kurt. Make him happy. But it's going to tear the rest of us apart."


	17. Days 6 & 7 : Preparations

**Day 6/7 : Preperations**

Blaine drove home slowly in a happier frame of mind than he had been in for nearly two weeks. It was as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He did not go straight home, diverting instead to pause briefly outside McKinley High; Breadstix; the Lima Bean, before on to the freeway home to Westerville. He made another pause outside Dalton Academy, before finally heading home, dreading Cooper waiting up for him. The lights were on, but his brother was slumped sound asleep on the sofa in the den. He was grateful for that - he had imagined an argument in which he blurted out that soon he wouldn't be around to argue with anymore.

Once safely sat at his desk in his room, he began to deal with the practicalities of his decision. Firstly, he had to write a Will, to ensure that his property did not revert to his parents, two people who could not even be bothered to speak to him since that night; in fact, since he had left for New York. 'There is only one thing that they are getting' thought Blaine with a smirk. Everything else was going to his friends; the people who had loved him. Still probably did, even now. His next task was to leave a series of notes as to how he wished his funeral to be. Kurt's had been so sad and tragic, and that was not what he wanted for himself. He needed it to be a celebration of his life and the fact that he was going back to his one true love. That finished, he moved onto a far harder task - a last letter each to Cooper, Sam and Burt. A short note to each to express his love and feelings - each one written whilst trying to avoid staining them with his own tears. In the end, he wrote the one to Burt last - it went like this…

_Burt,_

_I always wish that I could start with Dad, because that is how I see you - you have always been more of a father to me than my own. That is what makes this letter so hard to write._

_I said to you tonight that I was so tired and lonely without our beautiful Kurt. That I was thinking about __'__going away__'__ as I was aware that I was hurting so many people. I think that you knew exactly what I meant when I said those words, and rather than calling me out on it, trying to persuade me not to do it, you sighed and said I had to do what was best for me. Which means a lot; it shows me just how much you love me._

_I can__'__t go on hurting people and pushing them away. What I have done is unforgivable, especially Tina and Sam. Both such good people, that it__'__s no wonder Santana lost it with me. And the fact that Sam hasn__'__t stopped crying since Kurt died and has been worse since I drove him away - well, I can never forgive myself for that. Look after him for me, Burt - I love him so much; he__'__s my best friend._

_I know that what I am going to do will hurt them all again so much. I wish I didn__'__t have to do it, to spare them. But I can__'__t go on - I__'__ve tried, but without Kurt, I__'__m nothing. My life is empty, cheerless and pointless. That__'__s why I have to do this. In the hope that I open my eyes afterwards and he is there, so I can be in his arms again. I want to believe that. I__'__ll give him your love when I see him._

_Take care of them all for me Burt, especially my poor sweet Sam. Because I know this might break him. Make sure he reads his letter. It might give him comfort. I__'__ll be watching out for all of them anyway, until the day comes when we can all be together again. I__'__d really like that._

_All my love and apologies_

_Blaine_

He had arrived home just after midnight - the first glimmer of dawn was appearing by the time he slotted Burt's letter into an envelope. His next task was harder - he found the box, and relabelled it - back to Brittany. And then it was time. "Well Kurt, my little friend, it's time for me to go. I'm sending you back to your Auntie Brittany, because she will love you as much as I do. Take care of her for me…." He hugged the toy one last time, then carefully returned it to its box, sealing it tightly. For some reason, he found that he had punched air holes in it.

Now he had to transform himself. The scruffy man in the mirror had to be replaced by the dapper young man that everyone had known and loved. For the first time since the funeral, Blaine shaved, carefully avoiding the spot where Kurt had kissed him for that last time. It was uncomfortable after such a spell of neglect. Then he began the process of getting dressed - no more baggy sweatpants and T-shirts; back to his usual ensemble of button down shirt and fitted pants, though the latter where a struggle with the cast on his left leg - in the end, he cut up the seam of a pair to get them on over it. A boat shoe, with no sock, on his right foot. A blazer and of course, his trademark bow tie. Finally, the unruly mop on his head was gelled carefully into place. He stared at himself in the mirror, satisfied with his transformation. 'I'm back,' he thought, 'to the old me. Not for long, but for old times sake.' Now he just had to obtain something from his father's study.

It was just before 5am as Blaine crept down the stairs, with his old school satchel - in it he had placed two framed photos and his iPod - the letters and parcel he had left on his bed. He had only a few yards to go when he heard the voice. "Blaine, what's going on?" Cooper had woken up at the worst possible moment. The conversation he had been dreading was about to take place.

"Nothing Coop. I just made up my mind that I had to get back to my old self. I saw Burt last night and we had a long chat. He made me really look at myself. See what I had become. Convinced me to get back to myself. So here I am. I wanted to talk to Carole too, but she was on night duty, so I said that I would head back first thing and catch her before she goes to bed." 'Please let him believe me,' thought Blaine.

"I have to admit that when I saw you just now Blaine I thought it was a ghost. But no, you're real and you look like _you._ My little Blainers. It's nice to have you back." Cooper smiled and Blaine felt so guilty, because he was about to shatter his hopes and break his heart. He went over and gave him a hug.

"I love you Coop, so much - always have and always will" For a moment he thought that maybe he had said too much…

Then Cooper laughed and said, "Coffee? I'll make you a proper Medium Drip."

Blaine nodded, and Cooper headed for the kitchen. He headed for his father's study. A proper Medium Drip would take some time to make, giving him time to get away, as long as he found what he was searching for in the place it had always been. Thankfully, it was, the drawer still unlocked despite his mother's repeated complaints. He knew that this was the way to go, but actually picking it up, handling it made it seem so very real for the first time. He wasn't used to handling small arms, let alone his father's revolver. But now he had it, filling each chamber with a bullet, before putting it carefully into his satchel. His mother had always feared an accident with the gun when he was young; her worst fear was about to be realised, but this would be no accident.

He paused one last time in the hallway of his childhood home. He could hear the faint sounds of the coffee machine from the kitchen, his brother singing to himself as he pottered about. 'Don't let this break him too much,' he thought. 'Please let him be ok, make sure that he knows that this isn't his fault.' "Love you Coop," he whispered, feeling a tear pricking his eye. Then as quickly as he could he opened the front door, stepped out and pulled it softly closed behind him. Into his car to drive slowly down the driveway, towards his destiny, without so much as a backward glance. Pain lay behind him - forward was the way to his destiny, and back to Kurt.


	18. Day 7 : Back to plan

**Day 7 : Back to plan**

It was about five minutes later when Cooper came back into the hallway carrying two cups of coffee, a smile on his lips. His brother was back - who would have thought that one chat with Burt Hummel could bring about such a transformation. On entering the den, he paused. No Blaine. He set down the cups and went on the hunt, calling his brother's name. That was when he noticed that the study door was slightly ajar. "Blaine?" he asked, as he walked in. Then his world fell apart. There was no sign of his brother, just an open desk drawer, an empty gun case and an opened box of bullets.

Cooper ran out of the room. Screaming his brother's name, up the stairs to his bedroom, fearing every moment that he would hear a bang. Blaine's room was equally empty; too neat, too tidy. On the bed a parcel and four envelopes. Cooper sat down, scanning the labels; Brittany in Bushwick on the parcel (and no sign of the unicorn toy in the room, he realised.); Sam Evans; Burt Hummel; Last Will and Testament (No, No, No!) and one for him - labelled simply Coop. Shaking, he grabbed the latter and tore it open, and began to read…

_Dear Coop,_

_I want you to know from the start that this is not your fault. You have been the best brother to me, especially in the last couple of weeks - you__'__ve put your own life completely on hold to look after me. You__'__ve held me as I cried my heart out, put up with my violent mood swings and taken every bit of unjustified abuse that I__'__ve thrown at you. But in the end, Coop, there was one thing that you couldn__'__t give me; the one thing I really needed. You couldn__'__t give me Kurt._

_You alone know what I was really like before Kurt Hummel walked down a staircase and into my life. How lonely and miserable I was behind the façade I presented to our parents and the guys at Dalton. How close I was to suicide then. You saved me that time - this time, no-one could. My life is too destroyed, the future without Kurt too bleak to contemplate. The prospect of a future where I am alone is not one I can even contemplate._

_I want you to get on with your life now, Coop. Get back out there and make it big. Find a girl, settle down and have children. If you have a son, maybe call him Blaine after me. You have to do this Coop because you__'__ll be doing it for both of us now. I will be living my life through you, so you have to survive this. For us. Prove our parents wrong and make them suffer, as they have made me suffer. I__'__m counting on you here. _

_Can you make sure that the wishes in my Will are carried out? That will also annoy Mom and Dad. Particularly when they see just how much money I got off them by claiming it was for __'__expenses__'__ at Dalton - goes to prove that you should NEVER ignore your kids. My beloved parents are __**NOT WELCOME**__ at my funeral. I want to be buried with Kurt - Burt assures me that it is a double lair, so it__'__s possible._

_Once again Cooper, this is __**NOT**__ your fault. Just mine for being so weak and so in love with my beautiful fiancé. Who I__'__m going back to right now. This time it will be forever. I love you so much, big brother,_

_All my heart,_

_Your Blainers. XXXXX_

By the time Cooper reached the end of the letter, he was crying; moaning wordlessly as the enormity of the situation hit him. Blaine had reverted back to normal to die, not to live. He had to act, to stop this. He couldn't let this happen. He needed help, he needed advice - he needed Burt Hummel.

When the phone rang at 5.20 that morning, Burt knew exactly who it was without picking it up. Blaine was on his way, and Cooper had found out. Was calling the only man he could rely on for help. He considered ignoring it, pretending it was too early. It just kept ringing on and on. No avoiding it. No sooner had he picked it up than he heard the anguished voice of Cooper. "Burt, Blaine's gone. He's got my dad's revolver and he's disappeared. I've just found some letters and his Last Will. He's going to do something stupid. We need to find him, we need to stop him. He's got all dressed up and gone off to kill himself. I need to find him, need to stop him. Help me please, help me to stop him…"

As Cooper sobbed on the other end of the phone, Burt knew that he had to act helpfully, but at the same time, keep his promise to Kurt and Elizabeth, and stall things until it was too late. He knew the boy had to die (but my God, with a gun! What a violent choice for it.) At the same time he had to appear as worried as Cooper, or he would smell a rat. "Calm down, son. We're going to find him. Do you have any idea where he would go? Scrub that, we need a search party. Not the police yet, just friends. I'll call around for the Schuesters, his other old teachers. Not the police at this point; they'll only make things worse. Check the whole house son, then head over to me. I'll start setting things up."

Cooper rang off to check the house - Burt was grateful that he had accepted no police. They would find him too quickly. Just a small search party would give the boy time. His first call was to Will Schuester, who, after getting over the early call, had Emma awake and ready to head out in minutes. He in turn called Shannon Bieste; Burt himself called Sue Sylvester. A quick call to the hospital to alert Carole, and then he was off, hoping that no-one would think to look first at the obvious location - Kurt's grave at Lima Cemetery. That was Blaine's natural choice if he wanted to get back to Kurt.

Initially, no-one did consider that he would be heading there. Instead, every other avenue was explored, Sue even contacting the head of Dalton Academy to ask him to check out the grounds there. So time was wasted, just as Burt had hoped. It was Sue that finally realised that the cemetery was where Blaine would head. By this time, it was just after 7am, and she was a good twenty minutes away. Pausing only to send a group text to the other searchers, she turned around and drove towards the cemetery. She owed it to her sweet Porcelain to find his boy and stop him, even though in the back of her mind she couldn't help but feel that it might be better for Blaine to die, so his torment could stop. But no, she couldn't allow that, not on her watch - she had to ensure that he lived.

Kurt Hummel had not managed to sleep that night. He was upset from his visit to his father - seeing the tears that he had caused, both by his death and by what he and his mother had asked his dad to do. 'Is it all worth it?' he thought. 'To reduce dad to tears so as to mend a mistake in the grand scheme? Even if it does mean that I'll get Blaine back.' That was all that kept him going now, the knowledge that in a few hours, he would be reunited with the love of his life, this time for eternity. A knock on the door announced the presence of Finn.

"It's time dude. We need to head back to the cemetery."

In his car, parked just within the cemetery gates, Blaine was trying to get his breathing under control. His plan to _go away_ had been easy in theory, but it was far harder in practice. Sitting there with a loaded gun in your bag, preparing to blow your brains out took a lot of guts. Did he have them? In normal circumstances, he doubted it. But these were not normal times. 'Kurt' thought Blaine, 'you're going back to Kurt. Back to his arms. For eternity. Need to be fearless to achieve forever. A few seconds, then all over. Success guaranteed. No risk of missing and living. I can do this. I have to do this. And then I get Kurt. Please, please, let me get Kurt.'

Blaine left his car, leaving it unlocked with the keys in the ignition. He did not need it anymore. Slowly he made his way up the path to Kurt's grave, under a darkening sky. With his crutch, it took him a good ten minutes to walk the path uphill. Then he was there, no stone as yet marking the spot. Blaine discarded the crutch, and sank down to his knees on the damp earth. Opening his satchel he pulled out two photographs - one of the two of them at Kurt's graduation, one of the two of them at his - had it really been so little time since that day? Next he took out the revolver and removed the safety catch. Finally, his iPod - earphones in and play. The strains of _The Verve _and the song _The Drugs don__'__t Work_ filled his ears.

Only a few feet away, two angels stood under a tree - stepbrothers, united in fear of what was about to unfold. As Blaine had approached, Kurt's resolve had broken. He knew that he had to be there, he just didn't want to be. Now he turned to his brother and said "I can't watch this Finn. I know I have to be here, but I just can't watch." Finn understood, and told him to turn away, and cover his ears.

"I'll tap you on the shoulder when it's all over, because then he will need you." Kurt gratefully turned his back, leaving a white faced Finn to watch Blaine on his own.

Sue Sylvester could see her hunch was right the minute that she pulled into the cemetery parking lot. There was Blaine's car - empty, but there. She remembered where Kurt's grave was, and looking up, saw a familiar small figure knelt there. A quick group text of 'Got him. At cemetery. Kurt's grave' sent off. Then up the hill towards him. She was about 300 yards away when she saw him lift up the gun and place it in his mouth. That was all it took for her to set off in a run.

After _The Verve _track, Blaine had listened to a track sent to him by Rachel - a recording she had made of Kurt's NYADA audition. It made him cry, made him long to be in Kurt's arms. 'For alone is alone, not alive' summed it all up. Now it was over and he removed his iPod, before throwing it aside like his crutch. Deep breaths. Going to Kurt. Pick up the gun. Deep breaths. Place the barrel in your mouth. Going to Kurt. Finger on the trigger. Breathe. The longer you wait the worse it will be. I'm sorry Coop, Burt, Sam. Forgive me. Please let me be with Kurt. In his arms. Let him be waiting. No more stalling. Can I hear someone running? Not time to wait. Here I come Kurt - and he squeezed the trigger. A loud bang, no more pain. A smile for Kurt…I think I see him. And then everything for Blaine turned pitch black and all his pain was over.


	19. Reaction

_Thanks for reading and for the reviews. Probably about half way through the story now, and there will be some surprises along the way, as secrets are revealed, an old friend reappears & the supernatural starts to take a firmer hold..._

**Reaction**

At the exact second that Blaine pulled the trigger in Lima, in a kitchen in Bushwick, Sam Evans froze in mid sentence and dropped the glass of milk he had been holding. "Sam?" said Rachel, looking on with concern. "Are you ok? You've gone so white…" He didn't answer, just stumbled over to a chair. He didn't know why, but something told him that he would never be completely ok again.

For Sue Sylvester, the world had slowed down as she sprinted towards Blaine. Everything around her went into slow motion. The bang came when she was less than ten yards from him. She saw his head loll backwards with the force of the blast, the gun falling from his hand as it went limp. Watched as he fell forward to end up face down, bent over at the waist. She was aware of someone screaming "No" over and over again. It took her a while to realise that she was the person responsible.

Finn Hudson also saw everything. In his life he had seen some things that he would choose to forget, but this was the worst. No amount of screen violence and death could prepare you for watching a close friend end their life in a brutal, bloody way. Nothing prepared you for seeing the back of their head… He felt so sick and only his inner sense of duty stopped him from vomiting there and then. It was, after all, not the first thing he wanted Blaine to witness in his afterlife.

How long Sue sat clutching Blaine's cooling hand, tears rolling down her cheeks, would never truly be known. She did not hear the other car arrive, or the approach of its driver. It was only when Shannon Bieste placed a hand on her shoulder that she realised that she wasn't alone. "I was just too late. A minute earlier and I'd have been able to stop him. If I hadn't sent that text; realised where he would be sooner, I could have prevented this. I've let him down, let Porcelain down…"

"You don't know that you could have stopped him ,Sue. If he was determined to do this, then he'd have done it. Maybe not today, but soon. At least we have to cling to the hope that he is back with Kurt, somewhere…."

The sound of two pairs of feet running towards them announced the arrival of the Schuesters. Emma's eyes went wide and she gasped; Will took one look and fell to his knees next to Sue. "Why? First Kurt and now Blaine. Why? They were happy, they had the whole of their lives ahead of them…why?" He started to sob uncontrollably, grabbing for Blaine's other hand.

"I don't know buddy. Wish I did. Guess that after Porcelain died, Blaine died. Couldn't live without him. Remember how he was when they broke up? No hope this time, only one option left. I hope that he got his wish, and that they're back together" With that, she put her arm round Will, and held him as he sobbed his heart out.

Standing behind them, looking lost, Shannon and Emma were aware that another car was pulling in. "Burt; and if he is here, Cooper won't be far behind…," said Emma.

"Poor Cooper; this will be so bad for him. He'll blame himself…"

"Let's go down and try and stop him. He doesn't need to see this…"

Shannon nodded her agreement and the two women headed down, intercepting Burt and Carole. Burt came up alone, leaving his wife crying on Emma's shoulder, to stand beside Will and Sue. The sight of the small body, curled in on itself, broke his heart. He had love Blaine like a son - in less than a year he had lost all three. He doubted that his heart would ever mend.

The sound of a car screeching to a halt in the parking lot disturbed the silence of the three at Blaine's side. "Cooper." said Burt.

"This is going to be bed," said Sue, watching as he fought to pass the three women below, and won. "We need to turn him over," she said, gaining a stare from both Burt and Will. "Do you really think that he needs to see the remains of his brother's skull?" Both men got her point - they could barely deal with seeing the bloody mess that had been the back of Blaine's head themselves. Between them, they pulled Blaine's body up, positioning him so that he was no lying face up. His eyes were open and bright, a broad smile was on his lips. "He looks happy. Guess that he saw Kurt at the very last moment," said Sue, as she gently closed Blaine's eyes, hiding those hazel orbs from the world for the last time.

It was done not a moment too soon. When he had arrived and had been confronted by Emma, Carole and Shannon, each of them with red eyes and grief stricken expressions, he had wanted to scream; lash out. Not to accept what his mind was telling him had happened. He brushed them aside as they tried to stop him, running up the hill to where Burt stood next to the kneeling figures of Sue and Will. His head was pounding, his heart screaming in his chest. This wasn't happening; it was all a bad dream, and he would wake up any moment and find Blaine sleeping in his bed.

Only it wasn't. Cooper knew that. He knew that even before he saw his brother lying pale and cold on the damp earth of his fiancé's grave. By his side, their father's revolver. And Cooper broke, screaming in pain as he realised that he had failed. He had tried so hard to mend him, but he couldn't. He would never get his Blainers back. Never hear him sing or see his smile again. There would always be a gaping hole in his heart where his little brother should be, and the pain was unbearable. It consumed him, made him feel so angry. There was a solution to his grief, lying there beside his brother. So simple, and if Blaine could do it…. He went to grab the revolver, to do to himself what Blaine had done, but between Burt and Sue he failed. He could only weep, wrapped firmly in Burt's arms, for the one person that had meant anything to him in this world - his little brother.


	20. Reunited

**Reunited**

Slowly the darkness began to lighten. His ears still rang to the echo of the bang that had ended his life. 'Ended my life,' thought Blaine. 'so I guess that this must be my afterlife.' He stretched his limbs, noticing at once that the cast on his left leg was gone, as was the pain from his bruised ribs. What was also noticeable as the ringing in his ears finally faded was the silence. No noise apart from the faint, distant sound of a bird singing. Nevertheless, there was someone else there, he sensed. Someone watching his movements, waiting for him to lift his head. Someone who now uttered one word. "Dude?"

That one four letter word made Blaine's heart jump in his chest. Only one person would ever say that to him. For months they hadn't been around to say it. "Finn?" he queried. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Who else were you expecting for your reception committee? I'm afraid you're stuck with me - and this guy….."

This guy could only be one person. It had to be. That gave Blaine the strength to lift his head, open his eyes and take in his surroundings. Still in the cemetery in Lima it appeared. A few yards from where he had done it. And there was Finn - the same old tall, slightly awkward looking dude, his face serious, but happy. Moving now to one side to reveal the smaller man standing behind him. He was there; he was waiting; everything was as perfect as he had hoped.

For Kurt, his back turned, eyes closed, fingers in his ears, the moments leading up to Blaine's arrival had been the longest in his life. And some of the most confusing. On the one hand he was getting his Blaine back - on the other, his Blaine was about to die a tragic, violent death. Even with his precautions, he still heard the bang. Ending a life, but announcing an arrival. After agonising moments that seemed to last forever, he felt the promised tap on his shoulder. He removed his fingers from his ears, and suddenly he could hear _his _voice. That wonderful voice. Then Finn stepped aside and he saw him. His Blaine. Back with him now, forever.

They met in the middle ground, having both started to run to each other. Falling into each others arms, feeling with joy and relief the solid presence of the other. "Missed you Kurt, so much. Without you…"

"I know Blaine. I've been so lonely without you. I had Finn, but…"

"It's not the same. Just like me having Coop. Brother's are great but…"

"They aren't us. We love them, but we can't hold them like this. Feel so much love, such joy."

"And we couldn't do this to them either," Blaine said before locking his lips on Kurt's. He was home. He was whole again. All of it worth it for this moment. He pulled away, noting the look of sheer bliss on Kurt's face. Looked over to where Finn stood awkwardly, a huge smile on his face. "Group hug?" he said. Finn needed no encouragement to run over and enfold the two boys in his arms.

They stood there for some time, wrapped in each others arms. A few happy tears being shed for the reunion. Then Finn remembered what he had to do next. Ask Blaine if he wanted to see what was going on back in the world he had just left. "It's not easy to look at," Kurt joined in, "but I think you have to. It broke my heart to see you fall apart in Sam's arms, but watching all the reactions made me feel so loved. It helped." Blaine nodded, and slowly turned round to face the spot where his body lay.

He saw a sobbing Sue clutching his hand. Such grief from a woman who had once made his life a living hell in an argument over the Cheerios. Then she was letting Coach Bieste, her sworn enemy, comfort her. When he heard her state that she had just been too late, he realised that he had heard running feet; that Sue had been trying to stop him and had as a consequence witnessed everything. His heart went out to her. He started to cry, causing Kurt to wrap an arm around his shoulders. He marvelled yet again at Emma's calmness; felt his heart go out to Will as he mourned the loss of the third member of his glee club in the space of months. And then there was Burt, in the same situation. He realised that by now, Kurt was crying too - Finn was standing and staring forlornly at his mother in the distance. None of this however, compared to the arrival of Cooper.

Blaine watched as his brother ran towards him, his face etched with pain. When he screamed in anguish, his body collapsing to his brother's side, to bury his head on Blaine's chest as he lay cold and unmoving on Kurt's grave, it took all his strength to keep watching. Then he saw Cooper lunge for the gun. "No Coop, no, no, no!" he screamed, trying to break free from Kurt, to run over and stop Cooper. His relief when Sue and Burt managed to prevent him reaching it, when Burt held his brother in his arms and let him sob - he owed Burt Hummel so much. How could he ever repay such a selfless man? He knew the answer - by loving Kurt. "Can we go now, please?" he asked. With a nod, Finn escorted him and Kurt away from the scene, and into the afterlife.

Blaine's first impression of the afterlife was that it was just like life, only brighter, cleaner and quieter. He had found himself lead into a corridor lined with doors - it looked like any administration building on earth. Hushed voices could be heard behind some of the doors. On his own, walking down the long hallway could have been intimidating - with Kurt's hand in his (so warm, so real) and Finn leading the way, he felt almost joyful. Then Finn was knocking on a door marked with a nameplate that Blaine recognised. He entered, and Blaine was suddenly in front of a woman he had heard so much about - whom he recognised at once from the photographs he had seen in Kurt's house. "Hello, Blaine. It's nice to meet you at last, even though the circumstances are tragic," she said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Hummel. Kurt has told me so much about you."

"Please, as my nearly son-in-law, call me Elizabeth. Let's get you settled in."

Blaine could only smile. After years of feeling lonely before meeting Kurt, and after the anguish of the last weeks, he felt that finally, he was home.


	21. Breaking Hearts

**Breaking Hearts**

Back in Lima, a pressing issue was being raised once again by Sue. "Who is going to tell the other kids? How do we handle this?

"Not by text or phone," responded Will. "Even skype is out of the question here. This has to be done in person, because this is going to leave them feeling like Cooper, like us; destroyed, all over again."

"Agreed. Problem is that they are scattered all over. And let's face it, this is going to be all over the internet pretty quickly, if I know Lima PD"

"They're not as scattered as you think," said Burt, who had left Cooper in the care of Carole and Emma. "The younger kids are all in town, as are Puck and Quinn. The older ones are still all within a couple of hours of New York - they wanted to stick together after Kurt…."

From this, a plan was quickly formed. Firstly, Burt and Sue would use their positions as congressman and principal to persuade the sheriff to keep the events of that morning off line for 24 hours. Next, Will would call a meeting of the former New Directions still in Lima in the choir room at McKinley, on the pretence that the club was to be started up again in memory of Kurt. Puck and Quinn would be invited to attend too. At the same time, the New York contingent would be summoned to the loft at Bushwick. It was Burt that came up with the angle to facilitate this without letting the news out. A text from Blaine's phone to Sam, saying he was on his way to New York to apologise and could he get everyone together. Burt knew that even after everything that had happened, Sam would do that for his best friend. The only problem was that they would be getting a visit from Sue and Emma instead.

And so it was that as Cooper sat, still sobbing, that afternoon in the Hummel's house - he refused to go back to that place in Westerville - the Lima based New Directions were making their way in to the choir room, greeting Puck and Quinn who sat there, waiting. They were chatting happily about the prospect of restarting the club and if it was too late to apply for sectionals. Mr Schue sat quietly, Coach Bieste at his side. It was Quinn who noticed that he was shaking - when she mentioned it quietly to Puck, he took the situation in and whispered to her "There's something not right here, something going on. I mean everyone's here, and he hasn't started. It's as if he is waiting for a signal…" At that, Will's phone buzzed with an incoming text; he read the message, then called the room to order.

The message had been from Emma, to say that she and Sue had arrived at Bushwick and were standing at the door, preparing to knock. About to spread fresh heartache to those poor kids. Inside, unaware of this, sat everyone that Sam could gather. In some cases, he had to beg and plead with them to come, but he had won. Mike and Tina, Sugar and Joe, Mercedes and Artie, Santana and Brittany, Elliot, Dani and Rachel. All there, all waiting for an apology that most of them, in their hearts, did not need to be given. They had all come to understand why he was acting the way that he was. If this public apology helped him, then good. But both Mike and Santana had warned that if he kicked off again… Sam was relieved to hear the knock on the door and rushed to answer it.

A broad smile on his face, Sam yanked opened the door, and could only stare. At Sue and Emma. At first he thought that they had brought Blaine, and that he was just out of sight. Then he noticed the small parcel and the envelope that Sue was holding. The parcel was addressed to Brittany, in handwriting that was unmistakeably Blaine's. so where was he? And was that his name written on the envelope? And why did the two of them look so sad, as if they were about to break bad news….? And a little voice in the back of his head said, 'Because they are. Blaine isn't coming; he won't be coming. Not ever. It was all a rouse to get you in one place, to tell you all together, that he is….'

Sam stared into Emma's eyes; eyes filled with pain, with sympathy. This couldn't be happening, not again. Not another one of his friends, his _best_ friend. He was aware that he had started to tremble, that his mouth had gone dry, that he couldn't speak. Could only mouth the words "Not Blaine. Please not Blaine" at Emma. Who looked back at him with damp eyes, and nodded. That nod was all it took to confirm the worst, to cause Sam to collapse into Emma's arms, his body wracked by silent screams as his heart shattered into a million pieces. Not Blaine as well, he couldn't be gone too. Observing the scene, Sue sighed, and left the distraught boy in Emma's care. 'One down,' she thought, 'several more about to go.'

"Come on trouty, get him in here and shut that door, the draught is…." Santana stopped short as Sue walked into view. At first the room was filled with incredulous stares. They were expecting Blaine, not the current principal of McKinley High. Why was she here? Confused looks all round. Apart from one person. One person who looked straight at Sue and spotted her inner turmoil. That she had come instead of Blaine for a reason - one so sad, but at the same time, it did mean that there was a reason to be very happy.

"My unicorns are back together, aren't they? Blaine has gone to be with Kurt, and that's sad. But I think that he and Kurt will be so happy…"

All eyes were fixed on Brittany as she spoke, then slowly they turned to Sue. Awaiting confirmation, which she gave with a wan smile. "Yes, they are back together again. Blaine has gone to be with Kurt…" As realisation hit, the room fell deathly silent at first, then the tears started. This time there was no distinction in the reactions of Mike and Tina, both sobbing and clinging to each other for dear life. Mercedes was quietly praying as tears streamed down her face, Joe joining her in both word and action. Artie held Sugar to his chest as she wailed. Elliot, Dani and Rachel clung to each other. Brittany held an inconsolable Santana, stroking her hair, and telling her they would be ok. She alone was dry eyed and smiling, because her unicorns had been reunited, and surely that was a reason to be happy.

At that moment, a similar scene was taking place in the choir room at McKinley - in the end, Will had broken down in tears before he could even deliver the news, and so it was left to Coach Bieste to shatter hearts still grieving for Kurt. To watch as Marley, Jake, Ryder, Kitty and Unique clung to each other in a circle and sobbed. To observe Puck try and hold it together as Quinn fell apart in his arms - and see him lose the battle. To hold Will as he cried silent tears of frustration and anger. And to ensure that the skype link was on and ready.

Back in Bushwick, Rachel had left Elliot and Dani to find Sam. She stood in silence for a moment as she watched him, lost and fragile, clinging to Emma for life. Then she walked forward and took his free hand, before pulling him into her arms. They had all been so fond of Blaine, but Sam had _loved _him. Now he was falling apart, and needed their support, to avoid him following Blaine and Kurt. His life was balanced on a knife edge - if he fell, then it would be more than anyone could stand. With Emma's help, she slowly walked Sam into the room with everyone else, sitting him down next to Tina, who swiftly grabbed his hand. Artie was suddenly there too, clasping his other. Sam looked up and opened his mouth, to ask the question they all wanted to; "How did he die?"

Sue and Emma looked at each other; then Sue took a deep breath and began. "There's no way to sugar coat it, so I'll just come right out with it. His father kept a revolver in his study desk; Blaine took it and drove to Kurt's grave… I saw him do it. I was just too late. And that will haunt me." She stopped to observe - the looks of horror and shock on the faces of the young adults before her were heart wrenching. "I guess he just couldn't live without Porcelain. And as Brittany said, we should hope that they are reunited somewhere. Grieve for yet another loss, but rejoice in their reunion in the afterlife."

"Has anyone told Puck, Quinn, the new kids?" said Mike.

"Yes," replied Emma. "Will brought them all together to tell them, and we have a skype link ready if…" Before she could even finish, Rachel had her laptop switched on and had logged in to Skype. Her call was immediately accepted, the camera switching on to show a red eyed Puck, and then a room as grief stricken as their own. "How's Sam?" said Puck, knowing that he would be the one that was hardest hit.

"It hurts Puck, so much. I just keep thinking, if only I had stayed with him, maybe I could have stopped him. But as the smartest girl in the room said, her unicorns are back together, so we should be happy." Puck smiled, as did Quinn. Suddenly, Sam was struck by another thought, and turned to Sue. "We all know now, but what about the Warblers - who's telling them?"

"We forgot them," sighed Emma. "How could we forget Blaine's oldest friends?"

"I have Wes' number," said Santana. "I'll call him," activating her phone as she said it. It was answered with a shout of "Satan!" from Wes. She explained that she had to talk with him urgently about Blaine; he was in the middle of a group skype chat with the Warblers. Santana asked if she and the New Directions in Lima could join in with the chat, giving Wes the relevant usernames, and switched on her own laptop. One by one faces appeared on her screen; Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Nick and Jeff, and finally, Sebastian. Then Santana's courage failed her. She couldn't do it. Not again. Sam gently pushed her aside, and sat down, switching on the camera.

The multiple cries of "Satan!" were replaced by one of "Sam?" "Hey guys, Santana had to run off for a minute, so you've got me."

Suddenly Jeff, who had been studying Sam's face carefully, started to shake and cling to Nick, saying "Oh no…" causing Nick to look at him with concern.

"So," said Wes, "what's Blaine done now? Is he worse?"

Sam took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "There isn't an easy way to say this.."

Now Jeff started to cry, startling Nick - and then suddenly it dawned on him…

"Blaine is dead - he shot himself this morning." said Sam. "I guess he just couldn't go on any more." And on camera Nick began to cry alongside Jeff; David and Thad buried their heads in their hands; Trent and Sebastian just stared straight ahead as tears rolled unchecked down their cheeks; and as his heart broke, Wes broke down in a series of gulping sobs.

For a few minutes no-one spoke. Fresh tears fell in Lima and Bushwick. Then Sebastian spoke up. "When? He was upset when I left him yesterday, but Cooper was convinced that he could calm him down."

"Just before 7.30," said Sue, who was trying to hide the fact that her own eyes were moist. This revelation brought a gasp from Rachel and a look of horror to Sam's face.

"That's when Sam… when Sam just stopped talking mid sentence, and dropped his glass of milk…."

"And I suddenly felt as if my life had changed in some way, so that nothing would ever be completely ok again. I guess that my soul knew that it had happened. That I had just lost my best friend…."

"He really cared about you, Sam," said Sebastian. "After he found out about Hunter Clarington being behind Kurt's death; once he realised that he might be behind Finn's death too, his only thought was to get protection for you and Trent…" Sebastian tailed off as he realised that most of the people listening had no idea what was going on.

"Nice one, Sebastian," said Trent sarcastically. "Guess there's no point in hiding it now. Sebastian as you might know was in London on the night of Kurt's murder. He got a text at 11.30pm, London time, telling him that Kurt and Blaine had had an accident. London is five hours ahead of New York, so it was sent before they even got to the party. Therefore, it had to have been sent by the person behind the attack - Hunter. He had threatened myself, Sam, Blaine and Finn in the Lima Bean, two days after he was expelled from Dalton as a result of our exposure of the steroid scandal. He said then he would destroy our lives. Blaine joined up the dots…. Hunter has been arrested, but until his gang are all rounded up, Sam and me, along with our families, are under police protection."

Sam lifted his head back up as Trent finished. He looked around at the stunned faces of his friends, both in the room and on screen, as they took in the enormity of the statement. It was Puck that broke the silence, his voice rising in anger as he spoke. "It was all planned….none of it an accident, all worked out in a deranged mind, all because he got caught cheating in a show choir competition? I hope he gets exactly what he deserves - just gimme five minutes in a room alone with him, and I'll see that he does…" There were murmurs of agreement from Mike, Santana, Quinn, Thad and Nick.

"If they'd let you, I'd join you," said Sue, "but they won't. If we're lucky, they'll give him the death penalty; it's what he deserves."

"In the meantime," Sue went on after a brief pause, "I have two tasks to carry out for Blaine." She handed the small parcel to Brittany, who quickly tore the wrapping open.

"He's sent me back Kurt Unicorn…" She picked up the note and read it out aloud.

_Dear Brittany,_

_I__'__m going to see my real Kurt again, so I need someone else to love Kurt Unicorn for me. I know that you will love him just as much as I did, and as much as I love you. Be happy for me, Love, Blaine xx_

She got up, leaving the toy behind to go to her room - moments later she returned with an almost identical toy, the only difference being that this one had hazel coloured eyes. "Kurt Unicorn, meet Blaine Unicorn. I'm going to look after both of you forever."

There wasn't a single dry eye as she finished, placing the two toys next to each other in her lap. Sue composed herself and handed the envelope to Sam. He quickly wiped his eyes and tore the envelope open, pulling out two sheets of paper. In silence, he quickly read the first, pausing frantically to wipe at his eyes again twice. Then with a deep breath, he turned his eyes back on the assembled people. "Ok, I'm going to read this out" and he began.

_My dear, sweet Sam,_

_If you are reading this then I have had the guts to go through with it. I__'__m so sorry Sam. You have been through so much in the last two weeks and I know that you have been so upset by it all. But I just can__'__t carry on the ways things are. Ever since I lost my Kurt, my soul has become heavier and darker. I am no longer the same person. I have to do this, Sam, in the hope that I will be reunited with him. Just the thought of seeing his smile, his eyes, feeling his arms around me - it lightens my heart. I have to try and get back to him._

_I want you to promise me something. Do not spend too much time mourning me. The best thing you can do for me, after having a good old cry, is to pick yourself up and be you, Sam. Lighten everyone else__'__s hearts and make them smile like you made me every day. That is something I will miss Sam, your smile - it always melted my heart. I know I said some terrible things to you, but I didn__'__t mean them - in fact, it was the wake up call I needed to realise what I was becoming - evil Blaine - or worse, turning into Sue Sylvester._

_I am putting you in charge of my funeral Sam. I want colours, celebration and happy songs. No black and no formality. Maybe Mercedes can help you out; I think that she would be good at that. And I__'__d like you to say something about me. Make them smile by telling them about all the goofy things I__'__ve done. Perhaps Tina, Brittany and Wes could speak about me too. Because I want smiles, not tears, at least for a while._

_I love you Sam. Always will. It breaks my heart to hear how much you have been crying, especially when a lot of it is down to how much I hurt you. At least when I am gone, I can__'__t hurt you anymore - if I stay, I know that I will. Couldn__'__t cope with that. I __am__ going to Kurt and I __will__ be happy Sam. Keep that in mind - I will be the old happy Blaine again. I promise you that when you come to join me in many, many years time, we will be waiting for you with open arms - me, Kurt and Finn. Until then, be happy Sam, for me. It__'__s the best way you can remember me,_

_All my love, _

_Blaine xx_

"I am all yours in any way I can be," said Mercedes, coming up to hug Sam. "We are going to give Blaine what he wanted - a happy, fitting memorial to him and to Kurt."

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that the Warblers are completely at your disposal too, Sam," said Wes, nods of assent coming from them all.

"And you can make full use of McKinley to practice whatever you need to, whenever," said Sue, "just to prove that I'm not that evil…"

Sam was gratified to see everyone else nodding, even Sugar, who was on her phone, talking quietly. When she rang off, she explained. "I suddenly thought of Rory. He was close to them and was devastated to miss Kurt's funeral because his boss wouldn't give him time off. This time, however, he is coming. He's going to tell his boss to shove his job, and he'll be on the first flight he can get from Dublin in the morning. As he sees it, no job in politics is worth more than coming here to be with us and show his grief for the loss of two of his best friends."

"He's giving up his job, his life, to be here?" said Sam.

"Yes, he hates his boss anyway - as he said, he can find another mug to sit up half the night, wading through the proceedings of the United States Congress," smiled Sugar.

"So he is familiar with the workings of our government then… I wonder…," said Sam. He noticed that everyone's eyes had turned towards him, so he explained about the resignation of Burt's assistant, and how that job might just be ideal for Rory. If he wanted it, and if he could stay in the US to take it. And more importantly, if Burt would accept it.

By now it was getting late. Emma and Sue had a flight to catch back to Ohio. Much as the companionship of the room appealed to the others, time to be alone with their individual thoughts seemed good too. Arrangements were made to meet up again to begin discussing the arrangements for Blaine's happy funeral. Phone numbers were swapped and the task of breaking the news to those outside the close circle - and invite them to join - were allocated. Skype was closed down and soon only Mercedes and Artie sat in Bushwick with the four usual residents. Tentative suggestions were being made for the placing of songs, the content of the speeches and for those who should carry the coffin into the church. As they talked late into the night, Brittany was so engrossed that she failed to notice the two figures watching them, holding each other close, from the far side of the room. Sorry for their friends, but so happy to be back where they belonged - at each other's side.


	22. Keeping a promise

**Keeping a promise**

It had been a long day for both Blaine and Kurt. Having been reunited, all either of them wanted to do was to retreat to somewhere quiet and private, and just hold onto each other. Circumstances had prevented that. Firstly there had been a tense and revealing meeting with Elizabeth Hummel. Blaine had liked her from the moment that he saw her; it was great to finally meet Kurt's mom, and he was struck by the similarities in their appearance. Over a cup of coffee, she had filled Blaine in on the facts - that he had been meant to die alongside Kurt in the alley that night; that he had nearly died in the hospital, with only worries about Burt's heart cancelling that plan at the last minute. Finally, that his suicide was seen as the only solution to set the grand scheme back to rights.

He didn't quite know how to react to the information that he was being given. That he should never have been parted from Kurt, that it had happened as the result of a mistake - that hurt. As a result of that mistake, he had hurt his friends, his brother and endured abject misery. It broke his heart to discover that Burt had been forced to lie to him the night before and had then had to mislead the search party that very morning to ensure that the plans worked this time. He was gratified that the negligent angel who had allowed a cop to trip and throw a hot cup of coffee into his partner's lap had been punished. As a result of that he had jumped up and set off the siren, which had scared Hunter and his associates away before they could bring the baseball bat down on Blaine's skull as planned, thus setting in motion the whole series of events. He was curious to know what Elizabeth meant when she said that he and Kurt would be compensated for the pain and trauma that they had been through as a result. Then with a hug, she sent them on their way, reminding Kurt to fulfil his promise of the previous day.

So it was that Blaine found himself with Kurt in the Hummel house, less than 24 hours after his last visit. He saw Cooper crying in Carole's arms and longed to be able to go to him, to hold him, to tell him that he was ok, but at the moment that was impossible. Instead, he followed Kurt to the garage, where Burt sat alone, deep in thought. "Dad," said Kurt, "I promised you that I would be back…" Burt looked up and saw his son, and standing next to him….

"I'm so sorry I had to put you through everything, Burt. I got where I wanted to go though, and I'm so happy to be here with Kurt. I just that I hadn't had to hurt so many people in the process, Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, son. Not that there is anything to forgive. You did what you had to do to get where you were meant to be. Not saying that it wasn't horrific to deal with, but your method guaranteed success and achieved your goal. And it is nice to see you back to your old cheerful self again."

Blaine smiled and then asked, "Can you take care of Coop for me? My parent won't care, won't disrupt their lives to ensure that he is alright. He wasn't always the best brother, but he really redeemed himself in the last two weeks. I…I saw what he tried to do…I need him to feel loved and to be safe. Can you try and save him?"

Burt had no hesitation in agreeing to Blaine's request. "As I see it, you are family Blaine. That makes him family, and real families look out for each other and are there for each other, no matter what. I'll look out for him, so will Carole. Just as we will look out for Sam and the others. The news is being broken to them in a couple of hours, in person. I know how they will react; utter devastation. But they are strong, and they'll help each other to pick up the pieces." Blaine knew that Burt was right and smiled. "Oh and son, before my boy here takes you away - next time you see me, none of this Burt business - call me dad…" Kurt looked curiously at his dad, then at Blaine,whose smile was broad and whose eyes were filling up with tears. He would want an explanation for the final turn of the conversation later.

"Kurt, would it be ok if I got some sleep?" Blaine asked when they got back. "I was up all night and I'm so tired. On top of that, my back is starting to ache - I must have twisted it when I…did it."

Kurt smiled and lead Blaine to what would now be their room. "I'm afraid to say Blaine that your back pain is not as a result of anything you did back there. It's your wings starting to grow, and believe me, the pain will get worse. I'm not going to lie to you, it hurts like nothing else. But I'll be with you through it, and the results will be magnificent. We will be able to fly together - did you ever imagine in your wildest dreams being able to do that? Just now though, time for you to sleep." Blaine climbed up onto the bed, with Kurt spooning him from behind, just as they always did. He fell instantly into a deep, contended sleep.

Blaine would sleep soundly, held tightly in Kurt's arms, for hours. Kurt himself did not sleep, content merely to lie with his fiancé in his arms, inhaling the distinctive and familiar smell of Blaine, something he had missed so much in the last two weeks. As a consequence, he completely lost track of time, and had Finn not appeared to remind him, they would have missed out on Blaine's chance to see how his friends were reacting to his death. With some reluctance, Blaine woke, and chose to go to New York over Lima; they arrived just in time to see Sam crumble into Emma's arms, a sight which instantly broke Blaine's heart.

He marvelled at the wise words from Brittany; started when Kurt informed him that there was a definite chance that she would see them. That evening she would not, too busy concentrating on comforting a distraught Santana. As the events of the night unfolded, Blaine could feel himself becoming more and more upset; watching the Warblers break down on screen sent him over the edge and he started to sob, held closely by Kurt, whose own eyes were moist. The revelation that Sam had realised that Blaine had died, albeit in his subconscious, caused two sets of eyebrows to raise, Kurt making a mental note to ask his mother how that could be possible. So they watched, their hearts feeling heavy and in the case of Blaine, with an increasingly severe pain in the back. It was this that eventually lead them to leave Bushwick, to return to lie on the bed again as Kurt attempted to soothe his pain.


	23. Family

**Family**

Sam had not been able to sleep on the night after Blaine's death. He had sat at the end of the sofa, only partially aware of what was going on around him in the room. He did not notice as Mercedes left; as Rachel, Santana and Brittany had gone to bed. He was vaguely aware that Artie was sitting right next to him, and that he had finally fallen asleep where he sat, his head on Sam's shoulder. All Sam could think about was Blaine - wondering just how much pain and despair he had been feeling, that it had driven him to commit suicide. He wondered too if he could have done more to help, even considering for a moment that he should have done what Blaine had suggested the last time that they had met. No, that would have made things worse, as if they could be.

As the first pale fingers of dawn lit the sky, Sam realised what he had to do. If he was to be what Blaine needed him to be, he had to get the bulk of his grief out now, express his own pain before helping everyone else through theirs. He had to sing the sad songs now. He got up to fetch his guitar, waking Artie in the process. He looked blearily at Sam as he grabbed his guitar; and knew. Sing out the pain, as they had done with Finn. Wordlessly, the two friends settled on a song, Sam returning to sit beside Artie as he began to play the first chords of _Fire and Rain_. Despite playing and singing as softly as possible, the three girls were soon there too, joining in on the chorus in a lament for their lost friends.

Later that day, Sam found himself sitting on an Ohio bound plane with Rory. The latter had arrived from Ireland just after lunch, having jumped on the first flight as he had promised. He had been met at the airport by Brittany, Sugar and Sam, and after a quick round of welcomes, he had found himself hurtling through the terminal to board another plane with Sam. Burt would be waiting to pick them up at Columbus, making it the ideal opportunity for Sam to set in motion his plan to get Rory the job with Burt. When Sam mentioned the idea to him, the young Irishman's face had lit up, so the first of the three elements of the plan had fallen into place. He was also pretty sure that Burt would like the idea - it was all down to whether Rory would be allows to stay and take the job by the authorities.

Sam was correct about Burt - and soon as he mentioned the idea to him, as he had gotten over his initial shock at Rory's arrival, he had been all for it. A quick call to the relevant people in Washington DC had swiftly got the positive response they wanted - he could indeed stay if he worked for Burt, and he already had virtually all the clearances that would be required from his previous job. So it was that even before they arrived back in Lima, Rory Flanagan was Burt's new assistant at Congress, and installed in Kurt's former room, to be treated as one of the family, as far as Burt was concerned. As he put it, anyone who was prepared to give up their whole life and fly thousands of miles for Blaine's funeral was more than welcome in his home.

There was of course one other person now resident in the Hummel household, sleeping in Finn's old room. Cooper had decided to cut all ties to his parents. When he had called them the day before, to inform them that Blaine had died, he had hoped to hear at least a small sign of grief at the loss of their youngest son. Instead there had been indifference - his father had informed him that he wasn't willing to waste money on a fancy funeral, and his mother had pointed out that they were going to be flying out to St Lucia the next day for a weeks vacation, and so there was no way that they could attend any kind of funeral until they had returned. It would be impossible and a massive waste of money to cancel the holiday now.

Cooper was so incensed that he let his parents have it with both barrels. He told his mother not to worry, as Blaine had banned them from his funeral anyway; his father that he would personally pay for a fitting funeral, even if it plunged him into a massive debt that took years to pay off. Suddenly, in a move that shocked both himself, and Burt and Carole who were listening, he informed them that from this point onwards he no longer had parents - that this was the final straw; they had lost one broken son to an early grave and the other through their own self-centred, callous nature. With that, he slammed the phone down, realising that he meant every word. They no longer mattered to him, as they did not care. He turned to look at Burt and Carole, and swiftly found himself enfolded in their arms - the loving arms of proper parents.

That morning, Carole had driven Cooper to Westerville, to that place that was no longer home. She had helped him to collect his things, and to pack up a few precious items of Blaine's from his bedroom - scrapbooks, photographs and, from the back of a cupboard, Margaret Thatcher dog. Then, without a backward glance, he stepped out of the front door one last time. He had resisted the temptation to leave the taps on, with the drains blocked. To turn on the gas in the kitchen. To leave the alarm unset and the door unlocked as payback. (Carole would later confess that she had ensured that every light in the house was turned on before she left.) His keys he placed in an envelope which he mailed to his father's office. He shed no tears as he left, merely feeling numb, in despair at the lack of humanity in his biological parents.

He was asleep in his room when Sam and Rory arrived. It felt strange to refer to it as his, but both Burt and Carole had insisted that he could stay as long as he wanted. He would have been related by now if things hadn't gone so tragically wrong. The noise of their arrival woke him - he did not recognise the Irish voice, but he did realise at once that Sam had returned. His brother's best friend; probably the only other person to feel quite so broken by events. He was also certain that the footsteps he could hear coming up the stairs were Sam's and then he was there, knocking on the door, asking if he could come in. The look on his face as he did so caused Cooper to break down in tears, to be joined seconds later by Sam.

"I'm so sorry, Sam. I failed. I failed Blaine, you, everyone. I tried to bring him back, to keep him alive, but I let him out of my sight. I failed to notice it was just an act, then I panicked, and then it was too late. I love him so much, I miss him… I want to be with him, Sam… I tried to follow, but Burt and Sue…" He stopped, realising that perhaps he had said too much.

"I know how you feel Cooper," responded Sam. "When they told me I just wanted to die. I felt like running out of the loft, heading to the Subway and throwing myself in front of a train. But we can't, because Blaine needs us to live, to carry on with the things he loved, however hard that might be…"

"How do we do it Sam? I can't get the image of what I saw in the cemetery out of my head for starters. I miss having a little brother; he was the only person in that family that ever really loved me, that understood me. I have nothing now."

"Not true. You have the Hummels, who will treat you as family for the rest of their lives. You have all of us, because we loved him as much as you did. And if you're looking for someone to be a big brother to….I wouldn't mind having an older brother to turn to for advice. I used to go to Blaine; but if it's ok, then I'd like to come to you instead…."

Cooper looked at Sam for a moment. At his brother's best friend. He could never replace Blaine in his heart, but he did like Sam. The boy that loved his brother as much as he had. That had many of the same obsessions and interests; even the same sunny disposition. Could he be a 'big brother' to him instead? Someone to come to for help? Someone to share the good times with, and to go to for comfort when they felt sad? Blaine would have approved, he thought. "Well… I guess I'd kind of like that too, Sammy… is it ok to call you that?" Sam nodded. "Well from now on, call me Coop. I need regular hugs, and you need to listen with at least the appearance of interest whenever I get a part…"

Sam laughed, for the first time he realised since Kurt had died. That set Cooper off too. Then, both feeling pangs of guilt, they stopped. "You do realise, Coop, that he and Kurt are probably larking about together in the afterlife. Singing something very lovey-dovey to each other. That they will be happy to be together again. So we shouldn't feel guilty if we laugh. Anyway, all this crying is making my face hurt and there's no-one here to advise me on an appropriate moisturising routine." And then they were both laughing again.

"Ok, Sammy, here's the deal. We both stop crying so much. We try to make each other laugh. And we ask Carole if she knows anywhere for a good facial…" That set them off again, the sound of their laughter echoing through the house.

When the two of them went downstairs, Cooper did indeed ask Carole for a recommendation. This set her off into a peel of laughter; made Burt and Rory join in when they were told. The latter pair had also been busy with getting Rory set up as Burt's new assistant. He had been greatly impressed by just how much of the procedures and systems Rory knew; at how when given the pile of papers that he had been ignoring since Kurt's death, he had been able to sort through them and place them in order of importance and even start to deal with minor issues that only required a yes/no answer. In the space of half an hour, nearly a week's worth of papers had been dealt with.

Rory for his part was overjoyed to have been given a home and a job in less than 24 hours since he had quit the old one. His life back in Ireland had been stressful and deeply unsatisfying. His family were very traditional and expected him to behave in certain ways. His employer had treated him like dirt - he knew that he was underpaid and worse, undervalued. Now through the tragic death of a third friend, he had something better. He did not have to go back and face the wrath of his parents at throwing away his good job in Dublin. He was free again, as he had been on his exchange year here in Lima. That year had changed him and made him dream of better. Now he was back and he could finally be himself; the real Rory was about to be shown.

After dinner, a tired Sam and Rory found themselves in Kurt's old room, where a camp bed had been set up for Sam. They had both had a long day, and no sleep in over 24 hours. For Rory there was one more thing, however, that he wanted to do before sleeping - he had to be completely honest with Sam. The latter gave him his opportunity by asking about his family, and how they would feel about his decision to quit. "I think that they will be pretty glad to get me away, actually" This statement earned him a stare from Sam. "Being here before made me question my assumptions about my life, question who Rory Flanagan really was. As it turned out, he wasn't the good traditional Irish boy they wanted. Because I'm a lot like Kurt and Blaine…"

"Like Kurt and Blaine? Oh, I get it. You're gay. Must admit, I didn't see that one coming. But it is totally cool. Take it your folks are like Blaine's?"

"Yeah, exactly like his. They're ashamed of me, desperate to change me into what they want. So me coming here will suit them fine. Suits me too - I already told Burt; knew there would be no issue there - in fact, I think he loved it."

"None of the guys will have an issue with it either. To Brittany, you will be a new dolphin to love; Santana will keep trying to embarrass you, but she'll always be in your corner. Me, I need a new gay friend - I will always have Blaine in my heart, but it would be nice to have a guy with a different point of view here to talk to." On that note, Sam pulled Rory into a fraternal hug.


	24. Wings

**Wings**

As Sam and Rory hugged in Lima, Blaine was being held in Kurt's arms. During that day, his pain had intensified to such an extent that it had caused him to black out. Kurt had begun to panic slightly, despite his all too vivid memories of his own pain just days before. He could not bear to see Blaine suffer; that Finn could calm him down at all was a miracle. 'It will all be worth it in the end,' Kurt kept reminding himself. 'Once the process ends, he will have wings like me and we can fly together.' That last word still made his heart swell with joy. Together, for all eternity.

Elizabeth came in periodically to check how they were. She was still busy with negotiating on how they would be compensated for the error that had postponed Blaine's arrival. All she would say was that things were going well, and the outcome would be good. She was pleased with the progress of his wings - quick growth, which meant an early end to his pain. "Just a few more hours, Kurt, and he will have them. I have the feeling that they will be beautiful."

She left as an excited Finn arrived, making enough noise to rouse Blaine from his sleep. "You'll never believe this - Rory has just come out to Sam!"

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other, exchanging a knowing glance, before with a smile, Kurt replied, "Oh, Finn, we knew that a _long_ time ago. It's called gaydar. He might have played it straight, but we knew…."

Finn was slightly nonplussed that his big news had been anticipated by his stepbrother and his fiancé, but he did not feel angered. The way that they looked at each other all the time made his heart glad. He had observed the pain that they had both been in whilst they were apart; had dried Kurt's tears and watched Blaine fall apart. Now, as Blaine laid his head on Kurt's shoulder, the two of them spooning each other as they lay on the bed, his heart was full of joy. Tomorrow was going to be a big day - Blaine's wings should be ready to unveil here, and back in Lima, the New Directions and Warblers were due to arrive to begin their rehearsals for the funeral. He took his leave of the two sleeping men, and went to catch some sleep himself.

When Blaine woke the next morning it was to the realisation that the pain in his back was gone. He knew exactly what that meant - Wings. He was fully transformed into an angel, capable of soaring through the sky with the birds, with Kurt. It also meant of course, that he would have duties and functions to perform, but he would do those largely in the company of Kurt. His fiancé. With a sigh, he realised that he would never be able to say he was doing them with his husband. That privilege had been taken from him by Hunter. It was the only dark spot in the otherwise beautiful existence that lay ahead; a world in which eternity meant exactly that, forever. As the first lights of dawn brightened the room, he had never felt quite so content.

Kurt stirred a few moments later - his first action was to kiss the man lying beside him; a moment shared with enthusiasm by Blaine. When they eventually broke apart, he said "My back doesn't hurt anymore. You know what that means."

"It means that we will have a day spent teaching you how to care for your wings, and how to fly; once I have spent long enough admiring your wings as you did mine. But first things first - coffee and pancakes for breakfast?" To say that Blaine rushed through his food that morning would have been an understatement - Kurt did not exactly take his time either. Both were anxious to get to the big moment.

As it happened, both Elizabeth and Finn arrived just at the time that moment came, both equally anxious to see. With the moment upon them, nerves overtook Blaine - he did not wish to let anyone down. He listened with care as Kurt told him how to unfurl his wings, demonstrating with his own ivory coloured ones as he did so. 'So beautiful', thought Blaine, 'Perfect in every way, just like the angelic man that they are attached to.' And now it was his turn, to copy Kurt, just as Finn had done to reveal his own pale brown wings. Following his instructions to the letter, he felt a feeling of exhilaration as his own wings unfurled. The faces in front of him lit up, smiles wide and tears forming in Kurt's eyes. Then Elizabeth was guiding him to the mirror, so he could see them for himself - his slightly curled, hazel coloured wings. His own eyes began to fill with tears as he thought 'Beautiful. Mine. And they will let me fly…'

The rest of the morning was spent teaching Blaine how to care for his wings and more importantly, how to use them. Like Kurt before him, he mastered them quickly. Finn was heard to wonder if flying just came more naturally to ex-Warblers. The feeling of freedom in the sky, to soar alone or with Kurt holding his hand slightly blew his mind. This was true freedom; all cares and worries set aside; a complete weightlessness in a sky which seemed to have no limits. There was little that could be better than this. For the first time in what seemed like weeks, he found himself laughing out loud, Kurt joining in. The afterlife, it seemed, was far more perfect and beautiful than the one they had left.


	25. Organisation

**Organisation**

Back in Lima, people were arriving from across the states to congregate at the Hummel's house. First to arrive was Wes, who had driven non stop, in a rental car from Harvard overnight. After accepting a cup of coffee from Carole, he had crashed out on Sam's bed. Puck and Quinn had also arrived early to offer to drive to and from the airport to pick up arrivals, to relieve the pressure on Burt and Carole. The spare bedrooms of all those in Lima had also been prepared. Sebastian had arrived and immediately embraced Cooper, the two of them still shocked from the rapid pace of events. He was followed closely by Nick and Jeff, who were initially so quiet that it scared Wes when he woke up. He sent them off with Sam and Rory to fetch lunch for the growing crowd. To see those two boys so quiet and subdued was just so unsettling for everyone else.

By the time that lunch was served that day, the house was filled to its capacity. At first it had been silent, but then after prompting from Wes, Nick and Jeff had begun to act like their usual selves, which lead to an outbreak of laughter. A reminder from Sam to the assembled group of Blaine's demands for a happy funeral, of a short period of mourning, also aided the flow of conversation. As it did, smiles began to appear on faces that had been so down and so upset only hours before. The combination of good food and good company worked its magic.

After lunch, of course, the conversation had to turn back to matters in hand - firstly, who should carry the coffin into the church. No-one was forthcoming as a volunteer and so it fell to Burt to suggest a way to decide - nomination of the first pallbearer by himself, then each in turn nominate another until the required six were chosen; the only caveat being that he himself could not be chosen. There was agreement to this, and so Burt began. "I nominate the obvious choice; the only person related to Blaine by blood - Cooper. I know that he will find it hard to do, but it is the final duty that he can perform for Blaine."

Cooper for his part nodded, then spoke. "I nominate my little brother's best friend, the other half of Blam - Sam. He was the person closest to Blaine. He loved him like a brother. And though he didn't volunteer, I know that he will want to do this for him."

"It would be an honour to do it. Coop's right, guess I would have volunteered eventually. Now for the person I nominate. This guy is the reason that we ended up with Klaine in the first place. He sent Kurt to spy on the Warblers and the rest, as they say, is history. My choice is Puck."

There were nods of approval, which made Puck blush. "Count me in. For my nomination I chose someone who meant a lot to Blaine, who helped him, made him the Warbler's lead soloist, and pushed for Klaine as much as I did. He remained his friend right up until he died - Wes."

"Good choice," said Sebastian. "The most decent and honest of all the Warblers." His statement was greeted with nods from all his fellows.

"I accept on behalf of the Warblers, and of Dalton. My choice is for another man who assisted Blaine, who helped him steer his course through life at McKinley, and listened in the aftermath of his mistakes. I'm talking about Will Schuester. He was like a father to him when his own failed. There is no better choice."

For his part, Will nodded. "So the final choice then is mine. I chose someone that Blaine admired both for his skill at something that he did not always excel in himself - the ability to move effortlessly across the floor in dance; and for his kindness and compassion in most things. I'm talking about Mike."

Mike blushed. "I had no idea that he felt that way. I mean, he was always asking my advice about a step or two, and I'd taught him how to waltz properly for his…" He stopped short, realising what he was about to say. He had said enough for everyone to know what he was talking about.

"One set of decisions made," said Burt. "I think that we can all agree that the choices were good…." He ignored the murmur of 'No women..' from Santana. "Now we need to chose who should be waiting for the coffin to arrive at the end of its procession."

"If I'm carrying the coffin," said Sam, "the Mercedes should be there, as she was asked to help organise things." There was no dissent to that. "And might I suggest Tina and Brittany as his nominated speakers be there too?"

"Good idea Sam. Might I add Rachel? And perhaps Wes could select another of the Warblers given that he will be carrying the coffin?" said Burt.

"If we are all in agreement on that, can I suggest David?" said Wes. There was no voice raised in argument.

"The last four should place something on the coffin to signify the man inside," said Sue, who had been sitting quietly in a corner. "It would be fitting."

"A Dalton blazer and tie, to signify the special place that he will always be held in, in the hearts of the Warblers," said Trent.

"The puppets," said Tina. "When he went to New York, and I went to Brown, he gave me his Kurt and Blaine puppets. They meant a lot to him, and to me.." There were nods of agreement to this, along with some querying looks from Warblers.

"The Unicorns," said Brittany, gaining a smile from the whole room. "It wouldn't be right if Kurt and Blaine Unicorn were not there."

"A photo to show them at their happiest," said Rachel. "The one from Kurt's senior prom where they were riding on that dinosaur…" She paused, as she took in the raised eyebrows of the former Warblers. "You had to be there…also, it is the only picture we have of Blaine without hair gel…."

There was a collective gasp of shock from the ex-Warblers at that. "Madam, you mock us!" exclaimed Thad, "It cannot be so…" There was a moment of silence and then someone began to laugh. No-one was sure who, but within a few moments the entire room had joined in. The laughter increased when Carole retrieved a photograph album from a drawer, and found said image.

"Dear Lord, we never knew that his hair was like that," said Wes. "It was always gelled down so well - and looking at that, I can see just why it was."

"Kurt loved it so much when he didn't though. He was always so proud of his bushy haired fiancé," said Rachel sadly.

The mood in the room darkened again slightly. It was as if any mention of their names together was enough to break their spirits. "Well, moving on," said Sam, "there is to be no black worn at his funeral, not even so much as a pair of black socks, though I suppose that we can make an exception for black shoes. I do have one other suggestion on this subject, from Tina…"

"Blaine loved his bowties. He had so many, one for every outfit it used to seem." There were nods and smiles from everyone. "So, I thought that we could honour that part of his character by all wearing a bowtie at his funeral. I suggested this to Sam before he left New York, so he brought all of Blaine's with him. We could all chose one, unless you have one of your own instead…"

"That is a beautiful idea," said Cooper. "A little memory of Blainers worn by each of us. I want that…."

The afternoon moved on with discussion of the songs on Blaine's list. Some of them caused surprise - at McKinley, only Sam had been aware of Blaine's love for British comedy, something that he had gained at Dalton. Decisions were made on who would sing what songs, sometimes with ease, and sometimes with a lot of arguing. The running order also caused much debate. Artie, for his part, had taken the photograph album from Carole, finding it full of pictures of Kurt and Blaine, from the first days of their friendship, right up until that fateful night. He had an idea for a tribute of his own, and these would form the ideal basis for what he wanted to do. Taking Carole aside, he explained what he wanted to do. She agreed, and after swearing her to secrecy, she placed the album into the bag on Artie's chair, so that he could work on it at home later.

It was dark by the time the final decisions had been made. They had an early start on rehearsals in the morning - Sue had informed them that the school would be opened and the auditorium made available from 6am. Her offer to make a speech at the funeral had been accepted with no qualms. Her emotions had been exposed by the tragic nature of recent events; no-one was expecting any hint of nastiness in her speech this time. Before they all left, Sam had brought down a large box from his room. The bowties he produced from it nearly covered the Hummel's dining table. He chose his own first, then opened the field to everyone else. All took time to chose with care the little tribute that they would wear to their friend.

The following day saw the united group undertake one rehearsal after another in both the auditorium and the choir room at McKinley. They had only one goal - perfection. Not one error in the singing or the choreography could be allowed. They were united by a determination to achieve Blaine's wishes. It was a task that was never going to be easy. For once, petty squabbles and old rivalries were put aside, but there were still moments when something would happen to trigger tears, and a halt would have to be called to proceedings. But by the time the sun set that evening, they were ready for their task; prepared for another difficult day, when they buried a friend less than two weeks after the last.


	26. Happy Funeral

**Happy Funeral**

The weather took a suitably funereal turn overnight and they awoke to a leaden sky, the colourful clothes they wore in direct contrast. As the mourners gathered inside the church in a sea of bowties, the tension of the day began to take its toll. From the moment that he had woken, Cooper had been in turmoil. This was going to be the hardest day of his life - burying his little brother. He wasn't sure if he could deal with it. He still blamed himself for allowing things to progress to the point were Blaine felt he had no option but to shoot himself. The words and reasoning of Burt, Sue and Sam had not changed his opinion. He had failed when he was needed most. He was not worthy of people's sympathy - worse still, he was about to let everyone down again.

"I can't do this. I'm sorry, but I just can't. I don't think I can keep it together for long enough. You'll need to find someone else." Cooper's words came as a shock. His statement that he could not take his place amidst the pall bearers just before the start of the service was ill timed to say the least. But there were no words of anger spoken - they understood his reasons. Logistically, however, it was a nightmare. At such short notice, literally seconds before they had to move off, finding an appropriate and willing replacement was not going to be easy.

"I'll do it. He was a good friend. He cared a lot about me, so I guess that I owe him this" said an unexpected voice.

There was a moment of shocked silence before nods of agreement. The volunteer took over Cooper's spot as the head of the coffin. And so it was to the strains of Louis Armstrong singing _Wonderful World_, the small body of Blaine Anderson was borne into the church, with Puck and Santana taking the lead; Mike and Sam in the middle and Will and Wes taking up the rear. Towards the front of the church where Mercedes stood, flanked by Rachel, Tina, David and Brittany. All of them with a smile on their faces, trying hard to suppress the urge to weep and keep their promise to Blaine. Past Cooper, sat next to Carole, who mouthed a 'thank you' to Santana as she passed. Gratitude for the strength that had kept her and those around her reasonably sane in the last few traumatic days.

As the coffin was set down at the front of the church, the six pall bearers stepped aside to allow the placing of the items on the lid - a freshly laundered and pressed Dalton blazer and tie; two puppets made by Blaine of himself and Kurt; the two unicorn toys, side by side; and finally, mounted in a large silver frame, the prom photograph. After this, the actual funeral service took place, full of traditional ritual and solemnity. It was kept relatively brief and to the point, to allow for the outpouring of happiness thereafter.

It began with a brief speech from Mercedes about how they were respecting Blaine's wishes, then the songs began. The first was a rendition of _Happy _by Sebastian, which everyone gradually joined in on as the backing. Then it was the turn of the first of the speakers - Brittany. She smiled at them all, and began. "What can I say about Blaine Warbler that everyone here doesn't already know? From the first time that I met him, I knew that he was the right dolphin for my unicorn. It took him a while to realise that, but once he did, everything was perfect. Though they would have their troubles - and who doesn't - they were always in love. Deep, true love. He was a good friend to everyone - he had a deep sense of loyalty which puts many of us to shame. He was always there for us when we needed him - he made me happy, he made Sam happy. We all love him as much as he loved us. But his one true love, that was definitely Kurt. His face lit up every time someone mentioned his name. Without him, he was lost and miserable. I feel so sad that he is gone; that he won't be here to cheer me up when I need it. But I am so happy that he is back with Kurt. He can't be anywhere else. And I know that he will be happy - because they were always happy together."

As she finished, the lights dimmed, and the opening strains of the Turtles song _Happy Together_ began to play, accompanying a short film made by Artie. He had taken all the photos of the two boys together from Carole's album and scanned them into his laptop, before making a pictorial record of their relationship from first meeting (almost) to the ill-fated pre wedding dinner. Everyone watched entranced as they recalled each moment - in some cases, even saw themselves appear in the background of a particular image. As the final image began to fade away, someone began to clap, and before long everyone had joined in, applauding the living record that Artie had created of the relationship of Kurt and Blaine.

The speeches continued. Tina spoke about Blaine's belief in living out your dreams, followed by Mike singing _Daydream Believer_ by the Monkees; Sue made a speech about how Blaine had changed Kurt's life, and about how proud she was to have known them - Porcelain and Porceblaine. Sam came next, talking about how his life had been changed by his bromance with Blaine, before he sang two Queen songs - _You__'__re my best friend_ with the New Directions, and after a reference to Blaine's diva tendencies, _Don__'__t stop me now _with the Warblers. Wes made a short speech lamenting the state of Dalton after the departure of Blaine. He made reference to the fact that whilst McKinley might have had Klaine, they had retained Niff, the latter singing _Bring me Sunshine_ at that point. This brought him onto Blaine's love for British comedy that was a legacy of his time at Dalton - this was illustrated first by a slightly altered rendition of a classic, accompanied by a short film, again made by Artie - the new title being _Right, said Thad. _Puck then surprised everyone with a rendition of the Monty Python classic, _The Lumberjack Song_ - that left everyone with a smile. Another film followed of Artie singing _I bet you they won__'__t play this song on the radio_, his fellow New Directions providing the required sound effects.

It was to be the next contribution that changed the mood completely. Rory had been asked merely to introduce the video of the song - it had been judged too difficult to achieve live. Rory had not been as convinced of that as everyone else. He was positive that if he had the right support, he could definitely pull it off live. No-one had noticed that beneath different coloured cardigans, Brittany and Sugar were wearing the same dress; nor had anyone clicked that they had the same hairstyle. They were to be his back-up singers for his personal take on the Muppet Show classic _Mna Mna._ Almost from the moment that he leapt onto the stage, with a fake orange beard, in front of the two girls, there were smiles. Then barely suppressed giggles. Then as Rory pulled a particularly strange face at the scandalised glances he was getting from the two girls, Cooper suddenly burst out in a peel of laughter. That set everyone off apart from the trio on the stage. It was ridiculous, stupid and absolutely spot on for what Blaine had asked for - a happy funeral.

As she sang behind Rory, Brittany's smile grew wider and wider. People assumed it was because they were laughing, but in reality it was because she could see the three figures standing at the back of the church. She could see that they were as amused as everyone else. That Finn had been laughing long before Cooper; that Kurt and Blaine were holding each other as they dissolved into severe giggles. As the final notes of the song were sung, she looked towards them to see Finn's broad grin and a thumbs up; Kurt still laughing and Blaine waving at her, then blowing a kiss in her direction. It took all of her self control not to wave back. Even so, Santana could see from her seat in the congregation that Brittany was seeing the boys. It no longer upset her - she merely wished that she could too.

For Blaine, everything about his funeral had been just as he had hoped. The only tears falling were happy ones; his choices of song had been sung beautifully - indeed, he was shocked at just how well some had done. He had laughed out loud at Puck's earnest declaration that he liked wearing women's clothing and hanging around in bars; his laughter got even louder when he saw the look of confusion on Finn's face. But the highlight had to be Rory. He had taken a massive gamble in singing that song live - it was not one he would have taken. It had paid off massively and had cheered everyone present. Now came the hard part. Now came the trip to the cemetery to place his human remains next to those of Kurt.

As the funeral party made its way slowly back to the spot where most of them had been just 10 days earlier; where the eldest of them had been only 3 days ago, the black clouds let loose their rain. It was not a deluge by any means, but with the wind getting up too, it made the day all the more depressing. Here there were no restrictions on showing emotion. Although the rain hid it from obvious view as it blew into their faces, most shed a few tears as Blaine's coffin was slowly lowered into the grave adjacent to Kurt's. Much to everyone's surprise, Cooper managed to remain reasonably calm - it was Puck and Wes that broke down, side by side, mourning the death of Klaine, the relationship that they had both fostered from its start.

Observing the scene from beneath the same tree that Finn and Kurt had done, the three angels felt the immense sadness of their friends. They too were shedding tears, not for themselves but for the prospect that this might be the last time that all of these people would be gathered together in one place. There lives were taking them all away from Ohio, and out into the world. It would, they hoped, be many years before another death of a mutual friend brought them together; even then, the connection of the New Directions to the Warblers had been via Kurt and Blaine. This was the end of an era; of an epic story of love, courage and joy. That part of their lives was now over.

As the mourners drifted away from the grave, two people paused a moment longer to say a final goodbye to their friend. Sam had been putting on a brave face for the last few days, for the benefit of his friends and Cooper. Now, alone with only Artie at his side for company, he could let the mask slip. "Well, this is it Nightbird. You fought a brave fight but in the end you came up against an intractable enemy - your heart. Sleep well, rest up and be ready for the day when the rest of us superheroes join you. Blam will always be in my heart - I will never forget you. I love you Blaine and will do until my dying day, so you'd better be waiting for me…"

Artie smiled. "I hope that you guys are back together, somewhere where you can be happy and be yourselves; where you don't have to fight for the right to be equal. Keep an eye on us - we will always remember you and will try to keep on fighting those battles for you." The two young men held hands and smiled at each other through their tears. Eventually, they turned to go. It was Sam that noticed it first; the small white item lying on the ground beneath the tree. It sparked his curiosity - he decided that he had to go and investigate what it was. So having manoeuvred Artie back onto the solid path, he made his way over to the tree - underneath which three angels still stood and watched.

Finn had wanted to move quickly as he saw Sam approach, but Kurt and Blaine stood their ground - they wanted to test if he did have any sort of link to them. Blaine had realised why he was approaching first, seeing his iPod on the ground right in front of him. Now Sam was bending down just inches from him to pick it up. Finn was looking at Blaine as if to ask what it was. "It's my iPod," he whispered. Kurt's breath suddenly hitched as he saw Sam freeze, then stare around him, before grabbing the iPod and running back to Artie.

"He heard you Blaine. He did the moment that he touched the iPod. Somehow, Sam has a connection to you…."

Sam's pale face as he returned to Artie's side attracted the latter's attention. "What is it? You look like you have seen a ghost…"

"Heard one Artie. This is Blaine's iPod - he must have been listening to it before he… did it, then threw it away. When I picked it up, I heard him saying it was his. I swear I'm not losing it. I heard him as if he was standing right next to me, whispering in my ear. He's here - if he is, then so is Kurt and probably Finn. Do you think I'm mad? Or is it just possible?"

"Not mad, Sam. Full of grief maybe, making you hear things perhaps. Between you and me though, I think that they are here. Watching us right now, and probably waiting for us to go so that they can too. So, Breadstix beckons Sam. Let's go, because they will probably be heading there too…"

_For those that are unfamiliar with them, Bring me Sunshine was the theme song for British comic duo Morecambe & Wise; the slightly changed song in Artie's second film is best known as Right Said Fred, by Bernard Cribbens - I imagine it sung by David, with the Charlie of the original replaced by Wesley..._


	27. Where there's a Will

**Where there's a Will**

With Blaine's iPod safely stowed in his pocket, Sam was soon at Breadstix, were once again the wake was being held. This time there would be no shock speeches full of recriminations, just a few short works of thanks from Burt, on behalf of the still emotional Cooper. The latter sat in silent contemplation of the scene, smiling for a moment as Sam sat next to him. His new 'little brother' as agreed, but never the same as before. Around the room, people sought comfort from old friends; reminisced about the happy times in the past, and recalled the moments in which Kurt and Blaine had touched their lives. It was a mixture of tears and quiet laughter.

It was thus easy for Sue to get everyone's attention with an announcement. She read out a list of people who were asked to join her in the smaller function room next door for her to undertake her final task for Blaine. He had appointed her as his executor, and she now had to read his Last Will and Testament to those mentioned within it. So it was that all the former members of New Directions and those Warblers present, with the addition of Cooper, filed out of the main room and took a seat in rows of chairs facing a table at the front, where Sue sat. She was flanked by two men, whom she introduced - on her right, her lawyer, there to ensure that she carried out her duties to the letter of the law, and to her left a man Cooper recognised at once as his parent's former accountant, who had fallen out of favour with their father and been replaced. He had been dealing with the financial side of Blaine's wishes.

There was silence as Sue adjusted her glasses, and began to read the will as Blaine had written it.

_THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF BLAINE DEVON ANDERSON_

_Firstly, I have to appoint an executor. For this task I pick Sue Sylvester. She__'__ll ensure that all this gets done, because she would probably kill anybody that stood in her way._

_At this point, I__'__m sure that I am supposed to say something about being of sound mind and body. That would be disputed, so instead I merely state that herein lie my wishes, please respect them and make sure they are carried out to the letter._

_Firstly, there is a box marked __"__Kurt and Blaine - Private (Keep out Lopez)__"__ in the loft at Bushwick. It contains, to be honest, our small collection of pornography and some __'__toys__'__. Please can this be sent to my parents, as I__'__m sure they would love it as a reminder of me. The gay son they couldn__'__t stand. Hopefully, the box could burst as it is delivered to ensure their maximum joy._

_As for my clothes, my friends from McKinley and Dalton can have the first pick, then the rest can go to either a costume department or a charity. Apart from my bowties which I think there are enough of for everyone to have one as a memento of me._

_Everything else at Bushwick is to stay there. I__'__m sure that someone can make good use of the few bits of furniture that Kurt and I amassed._

_And now, the good bit._

_Everyone of you knows that my parents are wealthy - more money than sense. I realised that a long time back. And took __full__ advantage. That and their former accountant was on my side in the whole gay son saga. So between us, my fees at Dalton were slightly raised, and there were a whole plethora of extras to pay for. When I say slightly I mean doubled. All the monies were placed in a separate account. Most of that cash is no longer there, but there should be enough to pay for me to have a decent funeral and for a nice tombstone for myself and Kurt._

_You may recall that kid that was in the media at the start of the year who had designed a cellphone app that he ended up selling to a major firm for $50million. It made him and his mystery backer $25million each. He was a former Dalton student that I was friendly with. I leant him some of my money. So can you guess who that mystery backer was__…_

_Kurt had no idea - it was going to be his wedding gift from me. A very wealthy husband. Now, however, all my plans are out of reach, and so it has to go somewhere else. So, here goes__…_

_Remember that loft opposite ours in Bushwick that was being refurbished? And how envious Kurt was when he saw all the fixtures being taken in? He needn__'__t have been - I was doing it for him - it was to be our marital home, one we owned rather than rented. Now, I leave it split 4 ways to Sam, Rachel, Brittany and Santana. I know you will enjoy living there, as it will be your home, untainted by memories in every corner of myself and Kurt. By the way, it was valued at just over $2million._

_That leaves me $23million. I leave $2million to McKinley High to support the arts and to restart the glee club - sorry, Sue, but I__'__m sure you will cope. I also leave the sum of $1million to Dalton Academy to support and rehabilitate the Warblers._

_The remaining $20million I wish to be divided equally between the following people, all of whom should be here :- Rachel, Sam, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Mike, Artie, Puck, Quinn, Mercedes, Marley, Kitty, Jake, Ryder, Unique, Sugar, Joe, Rory, Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Nick, Jeff, Sebastian and finally, my brother Cooper. That__'__s 26 people and by my reckoning, around $770,000 each. Enjoy it guys, it should allow you all to live your lives and not have too much worry about cash. Trust me when I say it__'__s a nice feeling._

_So there we go. My parting gift to you all, a thanks for your friendship to both me and Kurt over the years. And that is it. Be good, be happy. Sing a song or two,_

_Signed this day in Westerville, Ohio_

_Blaine D Anderson_

There was a stunned silence. Eyes were wide, and nobody could quite believe what they had just heard. The accountant spoke to confirm the figures that Blaine had quoted were accurate and that the money in question would be distributed as swiftly as possible. All he required was the full name of each person named in the will, and a cheque would be made out from the estate. He had also, with Sue's lawyer, prepared the deed of transfer for Blaine's new loft, so that once again, all that was needed was a signature from each of the four beneficiaries.

"Well…." said Artie, "that was unexpected to say the least. I had no idea he had even invested in anything."

"I introduced them to each other," said Wes, and all eyes swivelled to him. "I knew what he was doing and one day he asked me about investments. I just never expected it to turn out as well as it did."

"You do realise," said Sebastian, "there are a couple of millionaire couples in this room. Blaine has made us all comfortable for a while…."

"No worry about college bills; could even consider buying an apartment with it - he was the best friend ever," said Tina.

"I think that we all need to go and get a drink," said Sam, "so we can drink a toast to Blaine. For his generosity, even though I would rather he was here to share his money with us."

There was general agreement with Sam's statement and a slow movement towards the door, which Sue and her two legal advisers had just used. Before anyone else could leave, though, Sam spotted an iPod dock and recalled what was sitting in his pocket. "Guys, before you all go, when Artie and I were saying our final farewells to Blaine, I found something." He pulled the iPod out of his pocket and held it up so everyone could see it. "It's Blaine's. He must have been listening to it before… and threw it aside. I'm curious to hear what he listened to just before he.. I know it seems wrong in many ways, but I kind of need to know. So, I'm going to play it. If you want to stay, you can. If not, then please leave now…"

No-one made any move to leave as he made his way over to the iPod dock, and placed it firmly into the cradle. It sprang to life, and the display showed that two tracks had been listened to the last time it was used. With Cooper standing by his side, he hesitated for a moment - then pressed to replay. As the first notes of _The Drugs Don__'__t Work _echoed out, a few people recognised the song and paled. For the majority, it was a new song. As it played, it affected every heart. As the lyrics sang of heaven calling and of coming too, the first tears fell. Then came the line '_you leave my life, I__'__m better off dead.__'_Not one heart in the room was left unbroken. Yet there was no protest, no demand to switch it off. They all realised that the song reflected just how Blaine had felt.

The second song caused Rachel to gasp as it began, because she knew it immediately. She had sent the track to Blaine. As the voice of a ghost filled the room, more tears began to fall - for the loss of Kurt, and his amazing vocal talents; for the shattering of Blaine under the weight of the death and destruction inflicted on him by Hunter; for themselves, denied the pleasure of watching as the two grew old together, happily married and raising a family of their own. They wept for a world that seemed a lot emptier now. By the end of the song, there was not a dry eye in the room; not one person left out of a loving hug, or held by a fraternal arm. Yet for all of the anguish and pain hearing the songs had caused, nobody wished that they had left the room when they had the opportunity.

The tear stained faces as they returned to the main room caused everyone else to start. After leaving the room, Sue had informed everyone of the basics of Blaine's will, and had told Will that he could start recruiting for the reborn New Directions as soon as they were back in school. This had filled every heart with joy - so on seeing the sad faces, he was the first to ask what had happened. Sam merely handed over the iPod to him, and told him that when he felt strong enough, he should listen to it. That it contained two songs that Blaine had listened to in the final minutes of his life - they had caused their grief and pain. Because finally, they had been shown exactly what Blaine had been going through in the days after he lost Kurt.


	28. How Wes found out

_So just how did Blaine get so rich? Here's the back story..._

**How Wes found out about Blaine's money**

In his position as head of the Warbler council, Wes Montgomery felt that he was responsible not just for his choir when they were singing, but throughout their entire life at Dalton Academy. As a result, he would often appear unannounced at the most inconvenient moment if he felt that there was a need to check up on someone. On that evening, it was Blaine that was giving him cause for concern. Although his voice had been flawless as usual, and he had once again been making those secret smiles at the new kid, Kurt Hummel, Wes had seen something else. A preoccupation and a smidgen of guilt. As was usual, Blaine had seen Kurt off on his journey back to Lima, whilst he had made his way to the dorm room that was his home for most of the week.

When he arrived at the door Wes knocked and entered without waiting, as was his style when he had suspicions. In a couple of instances, it had resulted in him seeing things he had no desire to see. On this occasion the first thing he saw was the large pile of dollar bills on the bed. The large pile of $50 bills. Where had he got that money from, and why was he keeping it in his room? These were questions that Blaine would have to answer before Wes left the room.

His answer intrigued and appalled Wes at the same time. He knew that the boy's parents were not the best in the world, but he wasn't sure he could condone such blatant theft. Worse still, if he left the cash lying around, then someone less honest than himself might help themselves to some of it, or one of the teaching staff might find it and raise questions with the Andersons. He could only give Blaine advice, which amounted to firstly moving the cash to a bank account, and secondly, making sure he and the accountant covered their tracks very well.

It was several weeks later, just after Kurt had returned to McKinley, that Blaine came to him and asked him what he knew about investments. He had amassed a significant sum of money and he wanted to do more with it than just leave it sitting in the bank where it earned little interest in the current climate. Wes knew little about the world of stocks and shares. He did know something about investing in new technologies or ideas however. It was how his father made his money. Although it was risky, if you chose the right idea, then their was a fortune to be made. As it happened, Wes knew someone who was looking for an investor to help him develop a concept - a fellow senior at Dalton, who was a bit of a genius with mobile technology. He was starting a business making apps for smart phones, which he believed to be the future. His ideas were excellent, he just needed a cash boost to get things going.

So he had introduced Blaine to James. Left them to it after that. Had heard nothing else about it until about a week before Blaine had been due to marry Kurt, when his old friend had finally revealed the truth, desperate to share his good fortune with someone he could trust to keep quiet.

A week after Wes had set up that meeting, Blaine had given James a cheque for $5000, the full amount of cash he required to get his new firm up and running. In return, James had agreed to give half of any money he made from it back to Blaine. By his first Christmas at McKinley, Blaine had his $5000 back. A week before Kurt's graduation, he had doubled his money - at that point, James had asked for a further investment to allow him to expand the range of apps he was developing. So $5000 went back in, on the same terms as before. All through Blaine's senior year, he would receive an income from James. This time, the money came faster than ever. In December, the sum of $15000 was deposited in Blaine's account - at first he thought it was an error, but James confirmed that sales were picking up - a rush before the holidays. When the next month saw a deposit of the same size, it seemed that it was no fluke.

The amounts continued to grow, and by the time Blaine went to LA for Nationals, the sums of money were starting to seem almost obscene. If things carried on at the rate they were, then paying for college would be easy. It was just after the New Directions loss was announced that Blaine received a message from James, asking him to meet him urgently. It could only mean one thing in his opinion. The good times were over, and the income was going to dry up. Still he had had a good run, and he had a nice nest egg tucked away in the bank.

When James finished telling him what had happened over a cup of coffee, Blaine was in shock. This was beyond his wildest dreams - it was a fairy tale. His small investment had taken off in a big way. He would have enough cash behind him to give himself and Kurt the life that they deserved. He had decided not to tell him until the cash was transferred and the deal settled. By the time that happened, things had taken a turn in New York. He was getting married in weeks, and Kurt thought they were pretty broke. He was going to tell him they were the exact opposite, but he had seemed so taken with the notion of the wedding that they made together that he didn't have the heart to say there was no need. It could be his wedding present to his one true love.

The new loft, that had been a lucky chance. That he had been home, alone and found out that it was for sale. That he had seen the potential and managed to develop it right in front of Kurt's eyes without him finding out. Of course, there was a risk that Kurt might throw it all back in his face. He was willing to take it. He was pretty sure that even if he was livid, he'd forget all about it when he saw his dream kitchen. Wes was the only person he told about it, because without his first introduction, none of it could have happened….


	29. Compensation

**Compensation**

Finn, Kurt and Blaine had also been present that day at Breadstix, but had taken great care to ensure that their presence was not observed. If, as it now appeared, Sam was sensitive to the proximity of Blaine through objects, then they did not want to leave him scared by these new feelings. They had kept quiet and instead observed the actions of their friends at the wake. They were cheered by the closeness that existed, not just between the couples like Nick and Jeff, Santana and Brittany, and Puck and Quinn, but by the camaraderie within the Warblers, and the growing closeness of Sam and Cooper, united by their devastation at their loss.

They had followed them into the other room to hear Sue read the will. Kurt had been left scandalised by Blaine's actions over the box in the loft - Finn on the other hand found it amusing. Both he and Kurt were left stunned by the revelation that Blaine had been a multi-millionaire and that he had been set to make all of Kurt's dreams come true. At first, he felt slightly angry that Blaine had been keeping such a big secret from him, but when he thought about it, it did explain a lot - how he had managed to pay to fly to New York at short notice one awful weekend, how he had bought an engagement ring, and had paid for everything at the proposal at Dalton, including flying Rachel and Santana from New York and Mercedes from LA at the last minute. Kurt could not stay angry at him for long - after all, he had just made the ultimate sacrifice for him - taking his own life to get back to him. He was just upset that he would never get to live in the dream home that Blaine had created for them in his beloved New York. Then again, they could create one together in the afterlife instead. And being together to do that was the best thing he could have asked for. As for Finn, he was full of admiration for his brother's fiance in firstly taking his parents money behind their back, and then having the gall to gamble it on a business run by someone he hardly knew. It could all have gone so wrong.

Eventually, they left Breadstix - the wake was drawing to a natural close, and their friends were heading home. On arriving back in the afterlife, they were met by Elizabeth, who appeared happier than she had in all the time since Kurt had died. "I'm glad to see you back boys. I have news. A decision has finally been made as to who Kurt and Blaine will be compensated for the errors made in the process of their deaths. I want you to know that what I have achieved for you is unprecedented. It has never been done for anyone before and will not be done again. Basically, it allows you to finish some unfinished business."

She paused, taking in three expectant faces. "You died Kurt on the eve of your marriage to Blaine. The union would have met with approval from everyone here. So I asked that you be given permission to marry as angels. And that has been granted." She smiled warmly at the look of sheer joy on Kurt and Blaine's faces. "But, part of me felt that that alone was not enough, given the circumstances. So I decided to go for more, standing my ground and refusing to budge until the rest of the council gave in, especially given the connections that you have to two people on earth - Brittany and Sam. It was this link to Sam that finally swayed it. They all agreed. You will be getting married in New York, with all your closest friends and family present and able to witness it." There was a stunned silence for a few moments; then Finn whooped in delight, as Kurt and Blaine held onto each other in a mixture of shock, disbelief and total happiness.

As the initial euphoria died down, an issue became all too pressing in Kurt's mind. With Blaine still clutching his hand tightly, he turned to his mother. "How is that possible? At this moment only Brittany can see us, and Sam can only hear Blaine. How can that change so much without… please tell me it doesn't involve them all dying or something…" Blaine's eyebrows had shot up by this point, a look of abject horror on his face. "If that's how it can happen, mom, then I think we'd both rather it didn't. We're together now and that in itself is more than enough."

Elizabeth smiled and explained. "No-one else is going to die, at least not yet. We are going to exploit all of the soul connections that you have. Your souls are tied most strongly to each other, but as you have already seen, Blaine has a strong link to Sam; he also has a weaker link to Santana - her tears when you died, Kurt, came when she realised that Blaine was going to be left alone and when his heart broke. Kurt's links are to Finn, Rachel and of course, Burt. You seem to have forgotten that he can already see both of you too. As for Rachel, she was distraught and near inconsolable when Kurt died, but far more calm when Blaine did. Brittany's soul is tied to nearly all of your friends - she is even interwoven into those of the Warblers. However, she alone cannot make you visible to everyone. With the power of your ties to Rachel, Santana and Sam concentrated in New York, and with their belief that you are actually there, there will be enough energy to allow one simple set of words change the situation and open up every mind to see your presence in the room."

"Even so, mom," said Kurt, "there would still be the small matter of who marries us and where? We can't exactly turn up at City Hall asking for a ceremony, because they will have us down on computer as having died - and they tend to be against dead people getting married…"

"The answers to your questions are obvious - you can get married at the Spotlight Diner - it has the space and the necessary facilities. I know it's not as glamorous as you planned, but it is the easiest choice. As to who, two angels can only be married by a senior angel on the council - someone like me…"

"So, as I understand it, the plan is this," said Blaine. "We get to marry in New York, in the diner where we used to work. We get the enormous privilege of being married by my fiancé's mother; my fiancé will also get another bonus, which he may not have realised yet - he gets his desired first choice of best man in Finn…" Blaine paused, as he watched the faces of Kurt and Finn light up. "And, thanks to the marvellous Brittany, we get everybody we planned for at the ceremony. I personally think that it's all quite fantastic. Think about it, Kurt, could it be any better, given the circumstances? Think of Carole's face when she gets to see Finn again; can you imagine Rachel's? I can see the look on Coop's face as he sees me again right now; he is going to be so happy. They will all be so pleased. And the most pleased person in all of this? Me. Because I will finally be able to call myself Mr Blaine Hummel - no more Anderson - just your name."

"You want to give up your name altogether? I thought that we were going to hyphenate?"

"That was before my parents turned out to be such crass, heartless idiots. They couldn't care less about me. No visits to see that I was ok in hospital or at home, no move made to assist poor Cooper. As for my funeral, a Caribbean holiday was much more important. So I'm done with being an Anderson - it goes. I want to be Blaine Hummel - your husband, Burt, Carole and Elizabeth's son-in-law, Finn's brother-in-law."

"Then we do this and as soon as possible. How do we go about it?"

"You don't hurry," said Elizabeth. "Everything has to be judged and prepared for properly. You need to give those left behind time to get past the funeral, get their lives back to some sense of normality. I'd say that in about a week, you can approach Brittany; another few days for her to get the others in a position to approach. I think that in reality, you should aim for a wedding just after Thanksgiving. People have vacation time then, so it should be easier for them all to get to New York. They could be invited to a memorial dinner for the two of you; it would be a perfect excuse. Now, as to your name after you marry, as angels you do not have to stick with either Anderson or Hummel. I know that you will want to stay with the latter for Burt, but you could chose another name…"

"Yeah, like Warbler," said Finn. "Just imagine it - the happy couple, Kurt and Blaine Warbler…"

"That is a lovely idea, Finn, but no, Hummel stays," said Kurt firmly. "I could never do that to my dad. It would break his heart."

Blaine was, however, deep in thought. "What you are saying is that as angels, we can alter our surname, with no problem?" Elizabeth nodded, so he continued. "So I could get rid of Anderson and change it before the wedding? In which case, that is exactly what I want to do." With a grin to Kurt and Finn, he turned to his future mother in law and said, "As of now, I want to be known as Blaine Warbler - people have been calling me that for years, so let's just make it official. And though I say it myself, Hummel-Warbler sounds pretty amazing too…."

No-one could argue with his statement, especially not Kurt, who had been amongst those to refer to Blaine Warbler over the years. And yes, the hyphenated version did sound pretty special. As Elizabeth began the process to make the name change official, Blaine remarked, "Of course, Brittany is going to love this.."

"You do realise," said Kurt, "that Wes will probably demand that the rest of the Warblers change their names too?"

"It feels strange to talk about living people having opinions on our decisions. I still can't believe that we are really going to be able to go back and have them all see us. To have them all there to witness our wedding. We are so lucky Kurt!" The latter raised his eyebrows. Blaine smiled, and responded, "Ok, so we died, but we are still getting our New York wedding. You have to admit, that's pretty special." Kurt could not disagree.


	30. The Box & the Loft

**The Box & the Loft**

In the week after Blaine's funeral, life did begin to return to semblance of normality for his friends. People went back to college and to their jobs. Burt returned to Congress with Rory in tow, the latter quickly finding his feet and making useful contacts amongst the other assistants. For two people at least, however, life was very different. Cooper remained at the Hummel house in Lima, obstentiously to keep Carole company. Secretly, everyone knew that it was very much the other way round - that he could not face returning to LA, and the cut and thrust of his previous life. He needed to remain close to his brother, still blaming himself in part for his death.

Sam had allowed himself to be dragged back to New York. A large part of him had wanted to remain in Lima to keep Cooper company. In the end, it had been Artie that had sat him down and talked to him; to convince him that the last thing Kurt and Blaine would have wanted was for him to sit in Lima grief stricken, but to get back out there and do the things that made him happy. To live a full life as a tribute to them. So he had returned as the part owner of a loft apartment. He had also been offered, at Santana's recommendation, shifts at the Spotlight Diner. He was working with her and Rachel most of the time - and somehow he felt close to Blaine there. On his wrist at all times was something special, given to him be Cooper as he had left for New York - Blaine's watch; a reminder and possibly, a link, to his best friend.

The new loft had been a revelation for its four owners when they walked through the door. It was far larger than their previous one, and had enough height for an upper level. This provided them with five en-suite bedrooms, as well as a double height living space and a kitchen which would have "made Kurt think that all his dreams had come true." Santana had just managed to stop herself saying "died and gone to heaven." There were far fewer moments when something would trigger tears and remind them of what they had lost. One did come on the night of Sam's first shift at the diner - an unsuspecting patron had made there way to the piano and started to play _Piano Man_. Those notes had caused Rachel to scream, Santana to drop a tray of glasses and Sam to collapse in floods of tears. Needless to say, the piano soon bore a notice forbidding the playing of the song.

They also had the pleasure at the end of that first week of watching the secretly shot footage of the moment that Blaine's gift had been delivered to his parents. The camera had been set up by their housekeeper, who had resigned over their treatment of Blaine. She had attended the funeral, and this had given Puck the chance to ask her if she wanted to help them with some revenge. She had readily agreed, and told them the best time to deliver the box.

So exactly one week after the funeral, a UPS van drew up outside the Anderson house, where Mrs Anderson was hosting a coffee morning for the Ladies Circle. The van had been leant to Puck by an old friend - driving the van, dressed in a borrowed uniform, was Mike. Once admitted to the house, he was shown through to the sitting room, carrying the box. A box whose bottom burst open over the coffee table, showering it with sex toys and porn. The box contained far more than it had; Santana had popped out, with Sebastian for help, to top it up with stuff that was less vanilla. To say that Blaine's mother was unhappy was an understatement - she came out with a torrent of homophobic remarks about her recently deceased son and his fiancé - and then a string of racist ones about Mike. This reaction earned her only one thing - the distain of the entire Ladies Circle. She found herself removed from its ranks at once, ostracised by her previous friends. Demoted from her hard won place in local society by her own reactions. Needless to say, the reaction of Blaine's friends when it was posted on Youtube that night was hilarity and a sense that justice had begun to be done for their departed friend.

Just over 48 hours after the posting of the video, the time was finally right for Kurt and Blaine to approach Brittany. So it was that they found themselves in the new Bushwick loft. For Kurt, it was his first visit to the place that should have been his marital home. As Blaine had surmised, he adored everything, the kitchen in particular leaving him speechless. They had come that night for a reason - it was the first time since they had gotten news of the wedding that Brittany had been alone in the loft. This was the ideal opportunity to approach her.

She sensed that they were in the room before they could speak. "Dolphins! I am so happy to see you again - you both look so happy! At the same time, we all miss you so much - it's a strange mixture of happy and sad…"

"We miss you guys too," said Blaine. "But you are right, we are both so happy."

"Happier since Blaine joined me - we just don't work without each other. Now we are together all the time, and we get to fly together. That is the best part of all of this."

Brittany smiled, and then, her face falling slightly, she admitted the truth. "I knew that something bad was going to happen that night. I had a dream the night before about broken unicorns. I told Santana, but she thought that I was being silly. She didn't want me to tell you in case it upset you."

"That's why you cried so much when we left, wasn't it? You wanted to save us. You couldn't have. Kurt and I were down in the great scheme of things to die, and so, I'm afraid that we had to."

Brittany looked near to tears, and so Kurt swiftly changed the subject. "That is in the past. We are looking forward to the future, and we need your help, because you are so special to us. You are the key, believe it or not, to our future happiness."

"I'll do whatever I can to help you be happy, except come to heaven with you, because that would make Santana so sad."

"We wouldn't want that; what we are planning will make everyone so happy," said Blaine. "There were errors made over how and when we died, so we get to do something very special."

Kurt looked at Blaine, and then with a smile announced "We are getting married; with your help, everyone will be able to see us, just like you."

The squeal of delight that came from Brittany's lips made both boys smile. "When? Where? Can I still be your groomsmaid?"

"The weekend after Thanksgiving, here in New York, at the Spotlight Diner. And we wouldn't consider asking anyone else to do the job," laughed Blaine.

"The thing is Brittany, Blaine and I can't organise anything, can't invite anyone. So we need you to do it" Kurt grinned at the horrified look on her face. "Don't look so worried, we will get you some help beforehand. Namely Sam, Rachel and Santana. We are going to make them see us - Sam is already able to hear Blaine. There is a very simple set of phrases, which with a touch of heaven's magic and your beautiful soul, will open their eyes to us. We just need to find a time to get you together, alone…"

Brittany was deep in thought for a moment, then said "The day after tomorrow, Santana is closing up the diner with Rachel and Sam. She said that I could come down and sit with them as their boss isn't going to be around to complain."

"That would be perfect," said Blaine. "We have a little plan that should work that involves a piano."

Kurt nodded, smiling all the while. "You will also have a crucial part to play Brittany. We need you to get them to say this - I believe in angels; I believe in true love; I believe in Kurt and Blaine. Then repeat from the beginning. We will do the rest." With a broad smile, she nodded her agreement.

At that moment, the door to the loft opened. "Not a word about this just now…" said Kurt, as Sam appeared in the room, with a smile and a hello for Brittany. It was then that Blaine noticed what was on Sam's wrist - his watch. If Sam had heard him whilst he was holding his iPod, then just maybe… Sam headed off to his room to put away his bag, and with a nod to Kurt, Blaine followed. As Sam sat on the bed, he took his chance. "Hey Sam…" As his best friend started at the voice, he went on. "Nod if you can hear me…" Sam nodded. "You will be able to see me again soon, Sam. Just keep believing that you will. Do whatever Brittany asks you to. And keep wearing my watch." And with that, he left, leaving behind a stunned and silent Sam.


	31. Quartet

**Quartet**

Two nights later, Rachel locked the door of the diner as Santana took the drawer of the cash register into the office. Sam was clearing the last of the tables as Brittany sat in quiet anticipation of what was about to happen. Once all three of her friends had vanished into the spaces behind the counter, she looked up and saw Kurt and Blaine standing there, on the stage, by the piano. "No playing _Piano Man?_ We'll see about that," said Blaine. With that, he began to play the first few notes. There was an almost immediate shriek from the back, and the sound of running feet. As the door flew open, both boys knew their plan had worked perfectly.

"Who was playing that? Is there someone else in here?" demanded Rachel.

"It was Blaine," said Brittany, with a nonchalant face.

A look of frustration appeared on Santana's face. "It can't have been. They aren't here anymore."

"They are. They are here right now. On the stage, standing by the piano. Both of them." Sam clasped the watch on his wrist and stared at Brittany, who just nodded and smiled. "You can all see them if you want. They want you to. All you have to do is say I believe in angels, I believe in true love, I believe in Kurt and Blaine twice."

As Rachel frowned and Santana sighed, Sam began to say the words. He repeated the phrases with a strong desire in his heart for it to be true. He needed to see his best friend, not just hear him. As he said the final words, he crossed his fingers in hope.

"Hey Sam, is this better…?" And there in front of him on the stage, standing by Kurt, both of them smiling broadly, was Blaine. Sam blinked his eyes, staring at the sight before him. He started to laugh, his face flushed, his smile growing as broad as the two before him. Brittany took his hand, and he gripped it tightly. Next to him, Santana and Rachel were speechless. The change in Sam after he had finished speaking was obvious. He was radiant with a joy that knew no bounds. His eyes were tearful, but with happiness. The two girls looked at each other, and almost in unison, began to repeat the set of phrases.

When they finished, the first thing that they heard was the piano playing again - the introduction to _Bridge over Troubled Waters_. Then came a voice that they had thought they would never hear live again. Kurt. Their eyes followed those of Sam and Brittany to the stage. The sight that greeted them was enough to make Rachel feel faint. Because there they were, just as if they had never left. Looking at the four of them with such affection; glancing at each other with love. "It's a miracle… I've never really believed in anything like this, but now… this is just so fantastical," whispered Rachel. Santana was hugging Brittany, telling her softly that she was beautiful and amazing. As for Sam, he just stood staring, his heart light for the first time in weeks. He never wanted this moment to end.

The song finished and there was a moment of silence. "I think that we have stunned our audience Blaine. Can't say that I wasn't expecting it, though."

"It's strange though. I've never seen Santana speechless before - it's quite unsettling." Blaine's comment made Sam laugh again, and within seconds the other three had joined in.

"It's the shock," said Santana. "The confirmation that Brittany was right about everything. And that freak gust of wind was actually…"

Kurt looked at Blaine, and the two of them allowed their wings to unfurl. Rachel burst into tears, Sam just stared, and Santana could only murmur 'beautiful' under her breath over and over again. "I told you they were angels," said Brittany.

Once it was clear that the initial shock had worn off, Kurt realised that the time had come to inform them of the reason why they had all been given the opportunity to see them. "So, girls," he began, "I hope that you all still have your groomsmaid dresses.."

"And Sam," said Blaine, "I hope that your best man's speech for me is still ready…"

Three faces looked back puzzled - the fourth was full of excitement and joy. Blaine looked at Kurt and the latter spoke again. "We are back because we have permission to let everyone see us; and because we are going to be back here the Saturday after Thanksgiving.."

"And we need you to get everyone here…" Blaine interrupted…

"Because they will all want to be here to witness a rare event on earth - two angels getting married. Our wedding is back on, and we need your help."

As Brittany bounced up and down with excitement, Rachel, Sam and Santana stared at each other, gobsmacked. "You are being serious, aren't you?" said Santana. "You are getting married, for real." Kurt nodded.

"The speech is still there, Blaine," said a smiling Sam, "but I might have to update it to reflect the now supernatural nature of the grooms Kurt Hummel and Blaine Ander…"

"I'll stop you right there, Sam. Because there has been a change. I've been permitted to alter my surname - my name from now on is Blaine Warbler."

"You are seriously telling us that after all those years of us using that as your nickname, you've now adopted that as your actual name?" Santana laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it just stuck with me. The reason for it is that I now hate Anderson and what it connects me to, with the exception of Cooper. This just seems right. And after the wedding, we will become the Hummel-Warblers."

"How do we convince everyone to come?" said Rachel. "We can't exactly invite them to your wedding…"

"We thought about that and came up with this - it is to be a memorial dinner - a night of memories and song," said Kurt. "At the right point in proceedings, we get Brittany to lead everyone in those three phases… and we're back."

"Who is going to be conducting the wedding?" said Sam. "We can't ask a city official to come along either…"

Blaine smiled. "We have a very special angel who can come and do it - Kurt's mom. It will make the day even more special."

"The only bad news is that Puck won't be my best man anymore…" With a glance to Rachel, whose face lit up when she realised what Kurt was saying, he continued "…because Finn will be here to do it instead."

"This is going to be the best day ever. All of us back together - and we all get to meet Kurt's mom too," said Brittany.

"It's going to be a challenge to persuade everyone to come, but if need be, I can threaten to go Lima Heights on them," said Santana. "I could tell them that if they refuse, I'll send Rachel round to sing at them." For once, even Rachel laughed.

Sam just stood silently, then let out a sigh. "It's all going to be great, but I won't be able to get the one thing I really would like - one final Blam hug. I suppose that if I can see both of you though, and not just for that one day, but every now and then, for the rest of my life…"

"I promise you this, Sam," said Blaine, "you are going to be stuck with me and Kurt turning up to see you for the rest of your life."

The next hour was spent in writing lists - the essential guests, the songs that they wanted to hear before they arrived, and the things that they had to bring. On the question of food, Kurt shook his head, and told them it would be sorted. The nature of the moment when their presence would be revealed to the assembled crowd was also planned in detail. Eventually, they managed to finish the close up, as Kurt and Blaine sang at the piano. Then the four friends made their way home to Bushwick, feeling happier than they had for weeks. They had been entrusted with a great secret. They knew it would blow the minds of everyone else. It was barely believable still to them. There was actually going to be a Klaine wedding.

Given how little time they had to organise an event that would have, in an ideal world, taken months to plan, the four friends achieved a virtual miracle. They found to their surprise that the diner had been set to be closed on the night in question, so their employer had no issues with their request to use it for a memorial dinner. Afterwards Sam observed that it should have been obvious that the place would be free - angels can see into the future. That Blaine's lawyer announced that he had discovered an unexpected additional windfall that would be enough to cover everybody's hotel and travel costs, it did not shock them. It also made it very easy to overcome any objections to attending - after all, it was a couple of nights in New York for free. Even Puck to his delight found that he had been granted leave on that weekend with no hassle at all. The scene was set for a massive party.


	32. If Sebastian hadn't gone to Blaine…

_Just when things are looking up, something comes along to cause upset. _

**If Sebastian hadn't gone to Blaine….**

On Thanksgiving itself, a shadow did appear on the horizon. The four friends had decided to celebrate together at Bushwick, and had been joined by Kurt, Blaine and Finn, who entertained with music and song. Although physically unable to prepare any of the food, Kurt had advised the girls on both the preparing and cooking of the meal. Sam had wisely opted to stay out of the kitchen, and sat with Blaine and Finn watching the football on television. "Almost like old times," thought Sam. When lunch was finally served it was, they all agreed, the best they had tasted, even beating those prepared by Kurt and Carole back in Lima. They had just finished their meal when there came an urgent knocking at the door.

Sam opened the door to find Trent standing there. His usual cheerful demeanour had been replaced by tears and shaking. "Oh, Sam," was all he said before he collapsed sobbing into his arms. Sam's blood began to run cold. Had something happened that meant that one of Hunter's gang was still on the loose?

"Trent, what is it? Has something happened? You are safe here. Just tell me…"

"No, nothing has happened. It's just… The police called me up and asked me to come in. They had some papers that Hunter had drawn up. They wanted me to confirm if what he said about people in them was accurate. They were. They were his plans, Sam, for what he would have done if Blaine hadn't stopped him. And they were bad."

Sam didn't want to know, but he could see that Trent needed to talk. So he quietly took him into the small study that Blaine had placed near the front door in his design, and closed out the girls. He couldn't exclude Kurt and Blaine. "He can't see us yet, Sam, but we can listen. Maybe if we concentrate on how much we love and care for him, he'll feel it," said Kurt.

Trent looked up and had the start of a smile on his face. "This room feels really welcoming - almost as if it is trying to give me a hug. That sounds so silly, doesn't it? But I just feel so loved from the very moment that I sat down in here. As if somehow the spirit of Kurt and Blaine has been installed here in the décor. It's like though they are gone, they're here." Sam could only smile.

"So these plans Trent. I take it that you need to share them? Not sure that I want to know about them, if I am honest. But you are a friend, you need to talk - so hit me with them."

And so Sam listened, and Trent began. "He knew that Blaine would kill himself - he said that it was only a matter of time, he was weak and guilt ridden. But if necessary, he had prepared something to push him over the edge….an accident involving Cooper." Sam heard a gasp from Blaine at that. "His next target was you, Sam. He knew that Blaine's death would really upset you, so he figured that if you lost anything else, you would follow him in suicide. So he planned to kill your entire family…."

Sam could feel the bile rising in his throat. Hunter had gone for the one thing that would have tipped him over the edge. If anything had happened to his mom and dad, to Stevie and Stacey, it would be the end. His life would be over. Worthless. Pointless. He would have killed himself, no question. With tears in his eyes, he glanced at a now silent Trent, at Kurt doing his best bitch glare, muttering about haunting Hunter as soon as possible. And Blaine….he was crying. His heart breaking at the thought of what could have happened if he had not worked it out. Sam realised that he owed his life and that of his entire family to a most unlikely person. Someday, he would have to thank Sebastian.

Trent drew in a breath, the continued. "He then intended to turn the focus onto me. Just not in the way I would have thought. It was going to be worse, much worse. He wanted to punish me and all the Warblers that Blaine knew. He was planning to pick the other off one by one. In most cases. He intended to shoot David in a drive by incident. Thad would have died in agony from poisoning. Sebastian was to be allowed to live, but with his tongue removed so he couldn't speak; his hands removed so he could not write. Wes he was going to tie to his bed, douse the room in flammable liquid, and then listen as he was burnt alive. As for Niff…he intended to kidnap them, tie them up face to face and then torture them to death in full view of each other, doing something horrendous to one of them, then repeating it on the other. I can't even tell you some of the things…. In Hunter's words, though, it was 'exactly what those two insanely cheery fags deserved'. He even had plans to kill other ex-Warblers who aren't even in the US just now - Flint, Beats, Ethan and Drew were all on his hit list."

Sam could barely breathe. Just when he thought it was bad, it got worse. Kurt and Blaine were both crying, but with such an angry expression on their faces. He could understand why - to kill so many people, in such a cruel manner… He looked back over to Trent, who started again. "And as for me…well after each of these deaths he was going to leave a clue that would point back to me. Make sure of course that I had no alibi for the days in question. He knew me too. He knew that I would not last two minutes once I was in custody. That I would have fallen victim to someone in jail, before I could even get to trial. He would never be suspected, just thought of as to have been lucky not to have been targeted by me. The problem is….he didn't intend to stop there. He had one final set of targets."

"It was us, wasn't it? The New Directions…." Both Trent and Sam were startled by the sound of Santana's voice. "Sorry guys, I should have said something sooner. Rachel sent me to ask if Trent was hungry.."

"How much did your hear?" said Sam.

"Enough to know that I want to kill Hunter. That I'm glad that it was me that came to ask, not Rachel or Brittany. So, it was going to be the New Directions next. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are," said Trent. He knew that you would have some kind of memorial for Kurt, Blaine and Sam, probably here in New York, or at Breadstix back in Lima. He intended to blow whatever venue you chose sky high…"

Santana and Sam both sat silently. Neither of them wanted to believe that anyone could be so cruel. Both could see Kurt and Blaine, their faces tear stained, but seething with anger. "We will be paying Hunter a visit tonight - if I can play a piano in a diner, then I'm sure that I can make things fly around his cell," said Blaine. Sam smiled briefly, before turning back to Trent and Santana. "All of this stays between the three of us for just now. No-one else needs to know and needs to be upset right now. It isn't going to happen anymore. His plans have been foiled by his own ego, which lead him to make a silly mistake and send a text message. Thank God that Sebastian came to see Blaine. He saved all of us by doing it. Who ever would have thought that he of all people would be our saviour?"

Sam had no sooner finished when there was a knock on the door, and Brittany entered. "Santana, Rachel decided that you had got distracted, so she sent me to tell Trent that there are turkey sandwiches waiting if he wants them, not to mention some pumpkin pie for afters." Trent's eyes lit up, and he had to admit that he was hungry. So it was that he joined Sam on the sofa to watch more football, munching away on a mixture of sandwiches. He was also invited to stay the night - his hotel wasn't booked until the following day. He accepted gratefully, happy to be in the company of good friends for the remainder of the holiday.

For their part, Kurt, Blaine and Finn returned heavenwards to be greeted by Elizabeth. "I heard everything that Trent said," said Elizabeth. "I also heard what you wanted to do."

"You're going to say that we can't aren't you, mom? I mean, we all understand why, but at the same time…" Kurt paused, conscious that Blaine felt the same, and that after they had told him the gist of what Trent said, Finn was livid.

"Actually, I was going to say that you could, because if anyone deserves this, it is him. Much as I love having you all here, I would far rather be watching Finn training as a teacher, and the two of you starting married life in New York. So go, all three of you. Introduce yourselves to him, then scare the life out of him. If you think hard enough about something happening in his cell, it probably will. Make him sorry that he ever crossed your paths - and that is also from me."


	33. Ghosts

**Ghosts**

Ever since the police had arrived to arrest him, Hunter Clarington had lived in a state of perpetual disbelief and denial. His planning had been perfect, his tracks so well covered. It had all fallen apart because he had been betrayed by someone that he had thought of as an ally. He swore to himself that when (not if) he got out of here, Sebastian was going to pay the price. A nice, slow, painful death - a warning to everyone that he wasn't finished. The only thing that gave him any cheer was the fact that he had been proven right about Blaine - he might have identified him as the killer but he just couldn't live with that knowledge. If only they had had the courage to ignore the police sirens and finish him off with his camp little boyfriend in the alley when they had the chance.

He was incarcerated in a solitary cell. He had been given a cellmate at first - one of his own gang - but after he had been caught attempting to strangle him, they had left him alone. It gave him time to brood on what he would do once he had been freed - his father had powerful friends, so it would only be a matter of time. They would be protecting Sam and Trent, so he'd skip them. Go straight for the two most sickening of the Warblers - the remaining love birds, Nick and Jeff. Just as he had planned - kidnap them, tie them up and make them watch each other as he cut each in turn in the same spot, removed the same body part, made them bleed. Drug them so they remained alert throughout. Make it last for days, or until their minds shattered with the horror.

Suddenly, his cell felt cold. Strong draughts blew through the small space. Just as soon as they started, they stopped.

"Hunter." A voice behind him, but when he spun round to see who was there, nobody was.

"Hunter." From the other side, a different voice. And again, nothing but fresh air to see.

"HUNTER!" came a shout from yet another spot.

"I'm imagining this," he thought.

"No, you aren't Hunter," said the first voice.

"This is very real," said the second.

"And we aren't about to stop anytime soon," came the third voice.

He knew them, but he couldn't place them.

"Forgotten us already? We all remember you. Best introduce ourselves - I'm Blaine Anderson."

"Kurt Hummel"

"Finn Hudson."

"And yes, we are all dead. You killed them and drove me to suicide. Maybe guys he'd believe this more if he could see us…."

As Hunter watched, frozen in shock, three ghostly figures materialised in his cell. Finn by the door, appearing to Hunter with a face cut to ribbons and still imbedded with windshield glass; Kurt below the window, his face stove in and a livid puce and Blaine sitting beside him on the narrow bed, the back of his head appearing as a bloody mess - all of them looking seriously angry.

"Believe in us now?" said Blaine. "Now that you can see? We're here because the police found your papers - we have just overheard poor Trent discussing what your plans were if you hadn't been such an idiot and let slip to Sebastian. We were seriously annoyed with you before, obviously, but now we have a fury towards you like nothing else."

Finn stepped up and bent down so his face was right in Hunter's, so close that he felt as if any moment, drops of blood would fall on him. "We can't touch you, not physically. But we can torment you mentally. We can make your mind fracture and fall apart. You are going to suffer for what you have done. To us, our families, our friends."

"We are going to be here every night until you go to trial. Every night during it. Then every night until you die," said Blaine. "And maybe, sometimes, we might turn up during the day. Just when you least expect it..."

Kurt just smiled, then began to laugh. A laugh the like of which neither Finn nor Blaine had heard from him before - a maniacal cackle.

It had an instant chilling effect on Hunter. He jumped off the bed and ran over to the door - he stumbled and fell before he could get there. When he looked back up, it was to see his pillows flying through the air.

"She was right, Blaine. You think about something hard enough and it _does _happen…" Kurt smiled and thought of the pillows splitting open and spilling feathers across the cell. They promptly did just that.

Blaine imagined the items on the shelf above the sink falling and shattering. Finn imagined all the bed clothes ripping apart. And it all happened, creating a scene of such mayhem, that Hunter jumped back up and ran to the door, beating it with his fists and screaming for help. His ears rang with the increasingly manic laughter of his three victims as they systematically destroyed the contents of his cell. He swore he could feel their hands on his skin, shredding his shirt. By the time that the guards came to deal with his hysterical screams, there was very little in the room left intact. And worse still, written on the wall in toothpaste was one word - MURDERER. The guards were pretty certain that Hunter had done it himself, so that his father could say that he was insane. He was sitting in the middle of the floor, his clothes ripped and torn, in a sea of feathers, muttering that his cell was possessed. It was an act, an attempt to evade justice. The guards, of course, couldn't see who was standing in the corner behind the door. Now silent, but with eyes that bore deep into Hunter. Eyes filled with anger, with hatred, and worst of all, a determination to ensure that he never had a moment's peace as long as he lived...


	34. Old friends next door

**Old friends next door**

Black Friday dawned, and for once, not a single female member of the New Directions was at the sales. No-one had the appetite for the crush of bodies as people sought bargains - and in any case, there was no Kurt to guide them. Instead, they all began to converge again on New York, to contemplate the past, to celebrate the lost lives and begin to look to the future. It was hard for Brittany to hide her excitement about what she knew was going to happen the next day. Sam also found it hard to hide the fact that he felt more cheerful than he had been since Kurt's death. He had to think about sad things just to stay subdued enough.

It was easier for him to do when Cooper arrived with Burt, Carole and Rory. Coop was still deeply distressed by events; by the thought that if he had maybe acted in a different way, he might have stopped his brother. Carole confided in Sam that he had woken up in tears virtually every night since he had moved in with them. So, the moment that he arrived, Sam ran up to him with a cheery "Hey Coop!" and enveloped him in a hug. Later that day, Sam invited him out for a walk in Central Park. This gave them a chance to find a spot they could sit down with a coffee and talk. They settled on a bench at Strawberry Fields.

"So Sammy, how is my new little bro?"

"Still hurting, Coop, but I'm getting there. Looking forward, not back - full of hope that it will get better. And searching for ways to make my big brother smile again."

Cooper gave him a brief smile, then said, "Hope you've thought of something good, because I need something…"

There was a part of Sam that wanted to turn to Cooper there and then and tell him that he would see his real little brother again tomorrow night and from then on he would see him again whenever he wished for him. He couldn't, as he had been sworn to secrecy by angels. All he could do was turn to him and say "Tomorrow night you will see a lot to make you smile - one thing in particular will really make you so happy… I can't say any more, Coop, but trust me, you will love it."

"I believe you Sammy. At first I didn't want to be here, to be reminded publicly of what I have lost, but something told me that if I didn't come I would regret it for the rest of my life…"

"The last thing you want to have Coop is regrets. There is so much that I regret not having said, especially to my three friends. I wish I had told Finn just how much I respected and admired him; how grateful I was to him for coming to Kentucky and getting me away from that strip joint…"

"Strip Joint?" said Cooper with a hint of shock.

"It's a long story - my family kind of needed money, and well, the pay was good. My stage name was White Chocolate…" Sam paused to look over at Cooper, who was looking part shocked and part amused. "I told my mom I was working at the Dairy Queen, though she always wondered where the glitter came from…"

Cooper burst out laughing at that. It always made Sam's heart light to hear him laugh as it usually meant he had forgotten for just a moment.

Sam started again. "I'd like to tell Kurt just how sorry I was back in my first year in Glee club when I pulled out of my duet with him because I was worried about how it would make me look. I should never have done that….and I'd like to tell Blaine just how much I cared for him. No, scrap that - how much I loved him. Like a brother. I'm going to try and look after you for him. Be your sounding board. For the rest of our lives, and that's a promise." With that, Sam pulled Cooper into a hug, in which he felt the older man relax. "So, on that basis, what's bugging you? Carole might have mentioned something about your parents…."

Cooper turned to Sam, and sighed. "Trust her to spill the beans to you, little bro… They got in touch, said they were sorry, begged me to come and see them. Against my better judgement, I decided to go and meet them. Waste of time - all about how my actions were destroying the families reputation. How they had been approached by Hunter's father to see if they would drop the charges about Blaine…." Seeing Sam bridle, he placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, I told them no way. After that, it all ended up in a mess. It wasn't always like this. I have memories of family holidays when I was a kid, where we just had fun. When they were decent, loving human beings. Then my grandfather died and left my dad the company, and things changed. He was never there, except to criticise - me for going into acting instead of the family business, and don't get me started on the way he treated Blaine when he came out…. Mom changed too, became all about wealth and status - though she blew the latter when The Box arrived. They just make me sad, Sammy. They've lost me for good now."

"Just as well you've still got me then. And Burt and Carole. In fact, you have pretty much everyone that's going to be at the dinner tomorrow. Except Sue."

"Good. Because she scares the heck out of me," said Cooper with a small grin. "Now, I don't know about you Sammy, but beautiful as Strawberry Fields is, it's November and I'm freezing. Let's go back to that wonderful loft of yours…."

That evening, everyone gathered at the new loft in Bushwick. It was a bit of a squeeze to be honest, but the intimate nature of the space made for ease in conversation. Everyone mixed as the food and drink were served, all taking time to admire the decoration of the space; wowed by the skill in design that Blaine had shown, and how his taste seemed to reflect exactly just what Kurt would have wanted had he decorated it himself. It was also the perfect time to make announcements about the future. The biggest that night came from Nick and Jeff, who had decided to abandon their plan to move into the dorms at Columbia at the start of the fall semester. They had deferred starting for a year so that they could spend some quality time together. On checking out their potential dorm, both had realised that it wasn't going to live up to its promise, and so they decided that they wanted to find their own space somewhere in the city - thanks to Blaine, they could easily afford it. A knowing glance was made between Rachel and Santana - they knew the perfect place.

As they escorted them across the landing to the old loft, Santana and Rachel were quietly happy that their old home might soon be occupied again. They could not have hoped to get better neighbours than Nick and Jeff. Not only did they already know them, but they were always cheerful, and the life and soul of every party. In some ways it would be like having Kurt and Blaine back - they could introduce them to the places that they had liked, even the little club that Blaine had discovered in Greenwich Village on his first big night out in the city. For Nick and Jeff, the idea of living so close to people they knew was instantly appealing - and when they finally saw the inside, they fell in love with it. The whole place just reflected the two friends they had lost and missed so much.

They agreed there and then that they would take the loft - Santana would tell the landlord that they had found new, dependable tenants for him. He would be only too happy to allow the boys to move in and start paying him rent again. Nick made plans with Jeff to move in sooner, rather than later, so that they could be settled in before the academic year began. When they returned across the landing and announced the news, the whole room smiled. Sam went over to enfold the two boys in a hug, glad to have male allies again. He had to move out of the way swiftly as Brittany dived in to greet her new dolphins. "What have we let ourselves in for Nicky?" said Jeff, as she pulled them both into a bear hug.

Mingling almost unseen amongst the crowd were Finn, Kurt and Blaine. It felt strange to be amongst so many of their friends again, in a situation where only four of them could see them. They observed silently all that was going on - the growing closeness between Sam and Cooper; the clear love between Puck and Quinn; the rekindling of love that Mike felt for Tina, brought about by their demise; and the first hints of a growing closeness between two surprising people - it appeared to Blaine that Trent was watching Rory with a smile - and vice versa. When he pointed it out to Kurt, he replied "Well, they are both single, and both in Washington DC, so it wouldn't be a bad thing for either of them…."

Kurt and Blaine took the news that Nick and Jeff were going to be moving into their former home with a smile. There were far worse people that could have ended up there. "It will be quite strange to see them in there, quite possibly in our actual bed too," said Blaine.

"Odd in a way that there will be another young gay couple with ties to the Warblers moving in and maybe one day even coming back there as a married couple."

"If they ever get their act together enough for one of them to actually propose…"

"Trust me Blaine, it will happen someday. Then the Sterling-Duvals will be popping over her for drinks…"

The party ended quite late, with the last stragglers, Puck, Quinn and Wes, eventually departing just before 2am. Quinn had found herself refereeing a bizarre squabble for much of the evening between the two over who had done the most over the years to cement Klaine as a couple. Once she had them in the back of a cab, she announced that she didn't care, she just missed them - and found herself with Puck and Wes sobbing on either shoulder. Back in the loft, the four roommates made a start on the tidying up, but feeling tired, they decided to leave most of it until the morning. Kurt and Finn had already left, leaving Blaine alone with Sam for a bit more Blam time. It wasn't quite the same for either of them - they could still talk, laugh at bad jokes, even sing quietly with each other, but there was no physical contact. With a sad smile, Sam stated what they both felt. "I would give anything in the world for just one hug from you Blaine - just one more…"

"I miss them so much too, Sam, but there isn't very much I can do there," was Blaine's only possible reply.

Unbeknownst to the boys, Elizabeth Hummel had one last surprise waiting for them on their wedding day. She had again faced considerable opposition from her fellow council members when she had proposed it. It was unprecedented; it was out of the question. She had worn them down over the course of two weeks of heated debate, until at last they backed down, mainly to get her off their backs. The deal had been made - and from 7.30pm to 3.30am on their wedding night, Kurt and Blaine, along with Finn and Elizabeth, would not only be visible to those in New York - they would be corporeal again. For one night only, Blaine would be able to give Sam the final Blam hug he so craved…..


	35. Brittany's Moment

_Well, we're coming towards the end of this part of the story - but I've started on the sequel.._

**Brittany's Moment**

The day of the memorial/wedding dawned dry and bright. It was the kind of crisp, sunny late autumn day that cheered the heart, despite the low temperatures. It was to be a busy one for all involved. For the Bushwick four, it meant an earlyish start, firstly to clear up the remains of the previous night's party, and then a trip to the Spotlight Diner to decorate it in such a way that it was appropriate to a memorial; it could not be set up for the wedding. Strings of fairy lights were set up around the room, candles placed on each table. All around the room, displays were made of red and yellow roses, those especially symbolic flowers.

Meanwhile, Kurt, Blaine and Finn found themselves dealing with a host of issues too. They had to check that the rings were perfect and that the promised food would appear. All of this was made less easy by the fact that Kurt and Blaine were only communicating via Finn - once again, they had decided to spend the night before their wedding apart, and they would remain that way until the moment came for them to appear on the stage at the diner. So it was that Blaine found himself checking on progress in New York, supervising the arrival of the food, the setting up of the stage and the final touches on the décor. He declared himself satisfied with everything well before the 6.30pm deadline, when the first guests would arrive to take up their seats. He returned to the room he shared with Kurt to get ready - the latter was preparing himself at his mother's.

By the official start time of 7pm, everyone had arrived at the diner, all attired as per their invitation - smart/casual. The guest list was wide ranging, and as well as the New Directions and Warblers, included such people as Isabelle Wright, Carmen Tibideaux, and to the surprise of many there, Dave Karofsky. The first drinks had been served, the first small hors d'oeuvres served. Now was the time for the first of the singing. Sue's face was less scornful than usual as she sat with the Schuesters and Shannon Bieste - it was something that Will noticed, as he had noticed the other subtle changes in her attitude since the deaths, but he did not dare to comment. Rachel had been put forward to act as compere for the initial phase - she introduced the Warblers, who, lead by Sebastian sang a beautiful rendition of _I want you back_. It was one that Rachel, Santana and Artie recognised from an encounter at Dalton that seemed a lifetime ago. They followed this with _Uptown Girl_, this time with Nick to the fore.

Then came Santana's moment. She had decided to sing a group of songs from the boys great love - Broadway shows. She began with a spirited performance of _Anything Goes_, backed by most of the girls from New Directions, who had learnt a simple set of tap moves from Mike, who also joined in along with Jake, and much to the surprise of the Warblers, Nick and Jeff. She followed this with _Cabaret _before teaming up with, again to everyone's surprise, Sebastian for _Money Money_, a performance that brought a smile to every face. Then it was Sam's turn to shine. He began with what people would later describe as the song of the night. The lights went out, and as the first strains of an orchestra played, a thin stream of light crossed the room, eventually projecting a picture of Kurt and Blaine being hugged by Finn onto the wall behind the stage, a move organised by Artie. Then Sam sang a beautiful version of _Eternity_, which moved half the room to tears. As he reached the lyrics about talking with mom and dad, he had taken a seat by Cooper, as he reflected on their talk the night before. He followed this with _Angels_, a very apt choice in the circumstances.

By this point it was approaching 7.30pm, the time that the Bushwick contingent knew was designated for the big reveal. A moment that would create a room full of confused, shocked and yet overjoyed people. It would turn lives upside down, and challenge their firmly held beliefs. Waiting in the wings, a group of angels stood, gathering themselves for the big event, Kurt standing to one side with Elizabeth, Blaine with Finn on the other. Waiting for one person to cast the spell. That night, Brittany S. Pierce was the most important person in the room. This was her moment, and she stepped up to take it.

"Hello everyone. I'd like to thank you all for coming here tonight to remember Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. I miss them all so much, especially my two unicorns. I was so happy for Kurt the day that he introduced me to his dolphin Blaine. They were meant to be together for ever, and I'm sure they are still together now. In fact, I know they are. And they are with Finn and Kurt's mom, so how could they not be happy? The one thing about all of this that really makes me so sad is that I didn't get to see them marry each other. It would have been such a happy day for everyone. I would give anything just to see that happen…."

"Sometimes I think that if I close my eyes and really wish hard for something, then it will come true. If I really want it, it often does. So I'd like to try it now with all of you. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that Kurt and Blaine are here, and we are going to witness them getting married, with Finn as Kurt's best man, and his mom watching." There was a ripple of discontent as people began to scoff at what she had suggested. Quinn had raised her eyebrows and began to shake her head with a look of despair on her face. Others, mainly the Warblers, were just staring at each other as if to ask what medication she was on, or had forgotten to take. Some were at least prepared to humour her. In the back of Artie's mind, he recalled that moment in the cemetery when Sam had heard Blaine. Maybe, just maybe, it could happen….

In the end, Santana stood up next to Brittany and glowered at the room, making everyone just a little scared - they did not want her to go all Lima Heights on them. "Please, just let's try," said Brittany. "I just want you all to close your eyes and repeat something after me. If nothing happens, then it has cost you nothing but time…" She smiled broadly as around the room eyes were closed; often not in belief, but with the desire to get this embarrassing turn of events over with. "Coach Sylvester, please close your eyes or I will have to get Santana to throw you out. You wouldn't want to dishonour Porcelain's memory, would you?" To her delight, Sue closed her eyes, albeit with a sigh. It was time, her time, to show the world a bit of magic.

"Ok, repeat after me… I believe in angels.." The phrase was said, in a variety of tones. "I believe in true love.." Again, a repeat. "I believe in Kurt and Blaine." Each statement was followed by the assembled guests, in near unison, repeating it. Brittany went through them again, and so did everyone else. As the last "I believe in Kurt and Blaine" echoed around the room, she asked them all to open their eyes again. To see that nothing had changed. Artie looked up at Brittany with sympathetic eyes, hating to see those that had doubted her proved right. He could see that some of them were preparing to snark at her. Yet, he felt hope that something was about to happen. The look of anticipation on Sam's face seemed to confirm that.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a blinding flash of white light, leaving everyone blinking and rubbing at their eyes. Then the music began, a tune that was familiar to all there. An Abba track. The intro to _I Believe in Angels. _Then a voice began to sing. The mere sound of that voice made people gasp. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Then a figure appeared on the stage. One so familiar to them. "Kurt?" whispered Mercedes, voicing what everyone had been thinking. Because that was who it was, standing in front of them, singing the song in a voice so familiar, so missed. No-one dared to believe that it was true…yet there he was, in front of them.

Their minds had barely processed the first shock when a second voice joined Kurt's. A voice that made Cooper jump up, and rub his eyes. "Blainers? Please, it has to be…" Then they saw him, walking forward, to stand with his arm around Kurt's shoulder, as they continued to sing the song. Around the room, eyes stared at something that minds screamed was not possible, not true. Artie merely had to look at the delight on Sam's face to know that this was real. Puck, tears in his eyes, was pinching his own arm, and whispering "This is real… It's actually happening. They're back." Next to him, Quinn was also convinced. Mercedes was praying, thanking God for this moment. The Warblers were sat in collective shock. In hope that this was real. None of them were quite ready, however, for what was going to happen next.

When the third voice joined in as the song began its second verse, there was an audible gasp from every corner of the room. Carole grabbed on to Burt, failing to notice that he was strangely calm about this turn of events. Puck burst into sobs, as did Mike and Tina. In a barely audible whisper, tears pouring down her face, Quinn gave voice to the identity of the third singer. "Finn…oh Finn." And there he was, standing tall and singing through the song, next to his stepbrother and his fiancé. Every word of the song had all the more meaning, given the circumstances. It would appear that for Blaine, all his pain, all his anguish and his death had been worth the while to achieve his destination- back to stand shoulder to shoulder with his soulmate, Kurt.

Just when they all thought that things could not get more fantastical, the three on stage unfurled their wings. "Oh, Nicky, look, they really are angels, with beautiful wings," said Jeff, the tears rolling unchecked down his face. The joy he felt knew no bounds; they were here and he could see them again. It was a feeling that was shared by every heart in the room. It was impossible - they _were_ dead, that could not possibly change. Yet everyone in the room could see them and hear them. This was the stuff of the wildest imaginations; the return of three people that they had lost and thought they would never see again. Somehow, Brittany had done a magic spell that had brought them back to them, at least for a short while.

As the second verse ended, and a brief instrumental part began, the three on stage retracted their wings and held aloft placards, each in their turn. Finn went first, holding aloft a sign which read "We're back! But we can only stay if you all do something." Kurt followed, with a sign which stated "You all have to sing along with the last verse." Finally, Blaine held aloft his sign, simultaneously making his best sad puppy face. It read "Or we have to go, which would be really sad." At the sight of this and of Blaine's face, there were a few smiles and a lot of head shaking. There really wasn't a choice.

As the third verse began, not one person sat silent. Every voice was raised in the song, though not all to the same volume. Amongst the most eager singers of all were Puck and Quinn, trying to outsing each other; Artie, his voice joyful as he looked at Sam's face, restored to it's old happy state; Wes singing out so loudly that the rest of the Warblers were staring at him with mild amusement; and Burt, finally able to say he could see the boys as everyone else could too. Not every voice was exactly in tune, or right on the beat, but it did not matter. They were raised in joy for the return of hope, for the knowledge that in spite of everything, Kurt, Blaine and Finn were together, and by the looks of it, happy.

_The version of Eternity that Sam sings is an orchestral version, which can be found on the album "Somethin' Stupid" by Robbie Williams. _


	36. Miracles can happen

**Miracles can happen**

When finally the song came to an end, the room descended into a stunned silence, punctuated only by the sound of tears being wiped away. Then Rachel was running across the stage to Finn and enfolding him in her arms. The couple held onto each other as they were reunited, still very obviously in love. It was Artie that noticed it. Noticed what was wrong with what he saw. In a stammering voice he suddenly said "She's holding him."

"We can all see that, Artie," said Puck, with a hint of sarcasm.

"No Puck, she is holding him… She shouldn't be able to hold him…."

Suddenly the implications of what Artie was saying dawned on them all, even startling Kurt and Blaine at the revelation. There was no way that Finn should be solid enough for Rachel to hold. "Has your mom…" began Blaine; but before he had the chance to finish he was confronted by Cooper running up to him, and pulling him into a tight bear hug. He could feel his brother's tears on his face, feel his warm arms wrapped around him…

"You are real, squirt. You're here, My Blainers… I love you so much. I miss you.."

"I miss you too, Coop. And I'm sorry I had to leave you… I had no choice. Just don't try and follow me, ok?"

Cooper held him tight, and then released him. "I'd better not hog you…sure that there is someone else needs a hug…" Sure enough, Sam now stood next to Cooper, waiting for his turn.

With a whisper of "Blam", Sam enfolded Blaine tightly in his arms. He could feel his tears falling on the side of his face; he realised that he was shedding a few tears of his own. He looked out across Sam's shoulder at the scene before him. Finn was no longer in Rachel's arms - instead he was being hugged by his mother and Puck, as Quinn stood to one side with tears in her eyes. Kurt meanwhile was in the arms of his dad, with Mercedes waiting for her turn. Tears were being shed, but this time for joy. Turning back to the boy in his arms, Blaine smiled and ran his free hand through Sam's hair, causing him to look up. "Guess this is my one last hug…and it is the best one ever."

With some reluctance, Sam let go with Blaine; no sooner had he done so than there was a scream of "Group Hug!" and Blaine found himself surrounded by seven Warblers, in a sea of arms as each of them tried to get as close as possible - that battle seemed to be mostly being won by Wes. He heard Kurt laugh until, with a squeal of delight, he found himself the target of the New Directions en masse. Finn wasn't fairing much better, with Carole having been joined by Burt, the Schuesters and Shannon Bieste. There was one person that Blaine observed to be standing alone, lost in her thoughts. A person that Blaine felt he owed an apology. He managed to extricate himself from the Warblers and walked over to Sue.

He could not meet her eyes. They were filled with the same shock as everyone else, but she was doing her utmost to retain her hard façade. "Sue," he began, "I want to apologise to you, for what you had to witness at close hand. I need you to know that I appreciate the sentiment, your desire to save me; but it wouldn't have made any difference, would only have delayed the inevitable. I had to die, Sue. I should have died that night in New York with Kurt. That was the design of the grand scheme - someone slipped up and I lived. That had to be set right, or the consequences would have been worse than all of this. I saw how you reacted afterwards…I'm just so sorry."

"It wasn't pretty to watch. Anyone could see how broken you were after Porcelain. The way you chose gave a certainty of death; that is why you chose it. Pills, cutting, even fire have a chance of rescue or failure. A bullet to the brain - well, there is no come back from that." Sue gave a wan smile, and started again. "You got him back though; you are whole again. I'm pleased for you, kid. Pleased that my sweet Porcelain looks so happy. I just….I never imagined saying this, but I miss the two of you. I want to kill that Hunter kid for what he has done…"

"Oh, don't worry about him… Kurt, Finn and I are making his life a living hell on a nightly basis," said Blaine with a wink.

Suddenly, the room resounded to the sound of someone clearing their throat with a loud "ahem." Burt gave a gasp as a fourth figure appeared on the stage. Kurt blushed and headed back to the stage. "I'm so sorry, I just got caught up in the moment. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my mom, Elizabeth." Blaine and Finn had also made their way back to the stage and could take in the mixture of shock and delight that Kurt's words caused.

"Good Evening," she began. "Now that the initial shock and euphoria is starting to wear off, it is time to move to the reason why this has occurred. But first, I'd like to thank Brittany for making this happen. Without her, this couldn't have been achieved."

"The night that Kurt died, a mistake was made. Not that he died, because that, to my horror, had been decreed from above. No, the fact was that he should not have died alone. Blaine should have died with him. Neglect and incompetence on the part of another angel meant that he survived to be tormented for two weeks - a period in which Kurt also felt so much pain. Now, I know what you are thinking - he unmasked Hunter's plot. If things had gone as planned, Sebastian would have flown in much earlier to be there for their joint funeral - he would have shown his text to Wes and Puck, and they would have made the breakthrough instead. I digress - a mistake was made, and it was felt that the boys deserved some recompense for their suffering. That is why they are here tonight, with you all, for a special event…."

There was a murmur of anticipation from all corners of the room at that point. Brittany's smile was beaming, and Sam looked as if he was about to burst from excitement. "We are here, in this form, until 3.30am. To perform a specific duty. To give these two something that they missed out on by less than a day…." And suddenly it became clear exactly what she was talking about. Faces lit up around the room. "Tonight, I will have the great honour of performing the marriage…" The rest of her words were drowned out by cheers and screams of delight from every corner of the room. This was the best news, the icing on the proverbial cake. Finally, unexpectedly, they were about to see the Klaine wedding they had all long anticipated.

Once the noise had died down, Blaine stepped forward. "So, all as planned apart from two significant changes. Firstly, my name. My parents are no longer in the equation - I do not wish to have anything more to do with them, and neither does Coop. In the afterlife, I was able to change my surname, so I'm no longer an Anderson. I chose a new name with a familiar ring - I'm now officially Blaine Warbler…" There was a squeal of delight from Brittany, laughter from the rest of the room, and even a grin from Cooper.

"Does that make me Cooper Warbler?" he asked.

"Unofficially, yes."

"I can live with that."

"The second change concerns Puck…"

"I know what it is, Mr Warbler, and it is more than okay. Finn deserves to be Kurt's best man, so I stand aside with pleasure."

"The thing is that we actually now need someone to help Elizabeth during the ceremony, so we were wondering if you would do that instead. If you want to, that is.."

Puck looked at Blaine with wide eyes. He had no idea what the new role entailed, but he knew in his heart that there was only one answer that he could give. "Of course, I want to do it. Who wouldn't want to play a part in the wedding of the year? So, what exactly do I have to do?"

"Essentially, you will be her assistant - holding the rings before the ceremony, making sure that everything is done as per the rules she will explain to you…"

"So, it's almost like I am doing the ceremony?"

"Almost. Seems to be pretty fitting to me, because the two of us might never have met if you hadn't suggested that Kurt go and spy on the Warblers. And I will be grateful to you forever that you did…"

A flurry of activity had begun around them as they talked. Rachel had ensured that all the wedding outfits that had been made with painstaking care and attention by the two boys for their attendants had been brought to the diner; everyone concerned was sent off to get changed into them. Wes instructed the Warblers to begin rearranging the furniture so that the chairs faced the stage in rows, and to begin ushering the guests to their places, as per the original seating plans, so that the wedding could get under way. Cooper found himself sat at the front, next to the Schuesters, across from Burt and Carole, in a state of shock. So much had happened and so quickly. It wasn't everyday after all that you found yourself at your dead brother's angel wedding to his equally dead fiancé. The worst thing about it was that he could never mention it to anyone outside of this room. Still, it did sound like a good plot for a film...

Then the moment finally arrived - several weeks later than intended, both of the grooms having died. Yet there they were, walking up onto the stage through the small congregation of friends and family, to where there attendants waited. To stand in front of Elizabeth, wide eyed and smiling. She had managed to pull off both looking official and mother of the groom at the same time. She had been formally introduced to Carole by Burt in a tense moment. Both had instantly thanked the other for taking good care of their son; found that they had quite a lot in common, and had realised that if Elizabeth had still been alive, they would actually have become good friends. With the two grooms now centre stage, the ceremony began, running in the traditional way, until just prior to its ending.

"Before declaring that Kurt and Blaine are officially husbands, I need to ask everyone else to leave the stage," said Elizabeth. As Finn ushered them all back to stand with the other guests, they looked at each other with curiosity. Elizabeth now stood alone with the nearly weds. "By the authority granted to me by the angelic council, I declare that Kurt and Blaine are joined together in marriage. They may now kiss for the first time as husbands." She took a step back away from them as they moved closer to each other, and their lips touched. As they did so, an ethereal light began to bathe the stage. Their wings appeared, and they slowly rose up, still joined together by hand and lip. They were watched in awe by the assembled friends and family.

"Now that is what I call a first kiss," remarked Puck, to no-one in particular.

What everyone failed to notice as they watched was that the same bright light that was shining around the grooms was surrounding all of them just as closely.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, the two newly married angels broke off their kiss and slowly drifted back down to the stage, both of them radiant with sheer joy. The assembled company was without exception showing the same expression. A delighted Elizabeth turned to them and began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that when Blaine proposed to my son, he stated that he felt that he knew Kurt from another lifetime. He was correct. Their souls have been bonded to each other in four lives prior to this. What he did not know was that the souls fifth trip is always its last. Kurt and Blaine will now be together for eternity. They will never be parted again for any reason - this is endgame. I ask you therefore to welcome Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Warbler to the joys of married life"

The applause that followed was long and deafening. There was no heart that was not made light. All the troubles of the last few weeks, all the loss, grief and hurt were wiped out by a sense of exhilaration. They had defied the odds, fought against the injustice of their early deaths to triumph. To be united as husbands, to wear each other's ring with pride and a quiet dignity. To have had a wedding that would be talked about for years to come, even if it was only with in the close circle of friends that were the New Directions, and as Wes put it, the core Warblers. A miracle had taken place in a diner in New York, and as a result, everything had changed for the better.


	37. A speech, a talk and a song

**A speech, a talk and a song**

The ceremony now over, it was time for the arrival of the main part of the buffet; a spread fit for an army of angels. No matter what people had wished for, it was provided, from a vegan spread for Rachel to an ironic selection of breadsticks. There was no alcohol - both Kurt and Blaine had agreed that it could only lead to problems. No-one even seemed to notice its absence. After the food came the point that Sam in particular had been worried about - it was time for the speeches. Although he had sat and rehearsed it in front of Blaine just hours earlier, his palms were sweaty, his pulse racing. The spotlight was now on him.

"I originally wrote this speech, with a little advice and help from Burt, for a day back in September, when we should all have been here, in the same place, to celebrate the same wedding. A heck of a lot has happened since then. We have all seen two funerals within days; had our hearts broken and stamped on. Now, they have been put back together, filled with a new joy. Somehow, we managed to get lucky - to conquer death and despair, triumph over the whims of men and get here. The day that my best friend Blaine marries his one true love, Kurt. They are two of the best people in the world, kind to me and everyone around them. And so in love with each other. They have had their ups and downs, but deep down we all knew, as they did, that their love would reunite them. Because, to quote Kurt, nothing can touch them, or what they have. Even death did not triumph, because here they are, married and happy, just as they intended, with the added bonus of wings…"

There was a burst of laughter at that, and Sam paused to allow it to die down before he continued. "This is going to sound strange, but in some ways their deaths have made this wedding even better. If Hunter had struck later, then we would not have been able to witness this; not have been granted the ability to continue to see them in their angelic form, for the rest of our days. We would not have had Finn as Kurt's best man, or his mother conducting the service. By the way, due to the short notice, Finn hasn't written a speech, but who cares? These speeches are nothing really when you compare it to the fact that our Klaine are finally married; and we have probably also avoided some off colour jokes in the speech that Puck would have made had he still been in the role…" Another burst of laughter came, mainly at the "Who? Me?" look on Puck's face. "There is one final thing I want to say now, and I am sure that it's what both Finn and Puck would want to say at this point if they were up here in my place. To Kurt and Blaine, we wish you happiness for all eternity, and a life of peace and tranquillity."

A loud chorus of "Kurt and Blaine" came from every corner of the room as glasses were raised to drink the sparkling grape juice that had been substituted for wine. It was a toast meant by all in the room. The only sadness that tinged their hearts was the knowledge that there was one thing now that they would never have, but had wanted. Quinn would no longer be able to donate an egg to give them the chance for their future children. Hepburn and Tracey would never exist.

For a while after Sam's speech, Kurt, Blaine and Finn circulated around the room, moving from table to table, talking to their friends, catching up on what they had missed. Kurt made a point of sitting down to talk to Emma, now in the later stages of her pregnancy. "So," began Kurt, "does everyone else know that you are expecting triplets? I take it that Mr Schue does?" Emma smiled and nodded. "Have you found out the sex of the babies, because I can tell you if you'd like…"

Emma looked at him curiously, then said, "We haven't checked, but if you know, then I guess it is something I'd like to know and so would Will." She beckoned him over from where he was talking to Burt, and once he was seated next to her, Kurt began.

"You are going to have three boys. The first born will be the tallest, quite an achiever in sports, but maybe not the brightest academically. The second will be reasonably tall, much slighter than his older brother. He will be wise, sensitive, talented and quite likely blue eyed.." he said, with a wink. "The last will be the shortest, but perfectly made, with curls like you, Mr Schue. He will love to sing, to make people happy. He might make the odd mistake from time to time. They will all get on with each other, thankfully…."

Emma and Will exchanged a knowing glance. "So, we should consider calling them Finn, Kurt and Blaine then, in that order?" said Will.

"Not a bad idea, Mr Schue," said Kurt, with a grin.

Blaine had made his way over to a quiet corner where Rory and Trent had seated themselves away from everyone's eyes. They both looked up at him as he approached with a slight hint of guilt. "So guys, both going to be in Washington DC? I think that it would be a good thing if the two of you looked out for each other. Were close to each other. Then again, I think that's what you both want, isn't it?" Rory and Trent both grinned at each other sheepishly, then back at Blaine.

"I would like to get to know Trent much better, that is true…"

"And I think that Rory is fascinating - and cute," smiled Trent.

"Well in my opinion and Kurt's, you make a lovely couple - guess that we will have to start referring to you as Trory from now on…."

Finn was talking quietly to Sam. "So, you and Rachel… You have been looking out for her and she has been keeping an eye on you. That's good man, because you both need someone. And I approve of it. You won't hurt her, you'll take care of her. And she likes you, Sam. A lot. And it is growing, the affection she has for you. And I think that it is reciprocated." Sam smiled, and nodded slightly. "Well, if you want to take it further, I am totally ok with it. There will be no bad feelings towards either of you on my part. Just want you both to be happy."

"Thanks Finn. Rachel is kinda special to me, because we have both lost our best friends. She gets me and I get her. If we have your blessing, then maybe we'll see what happens…"

The evening progressed in the usual way. It was soon evident that a first dance for the newlyweds was required, and a request was made for Will to do the honours. Just as he had done at Burt ad Carole's wedding, he sang _Sway_ as Kurt and Blaine moved around the floor in perfect sync. When afterwards he was joined on stage by Sue and the two of them sang _Cheek to Cheek_ together, it was to a stunned audience, but greeted with loud and long applause. After that, it was all about song and dance. It began with a spirited performance of _Wake me up, before you go-go _by Sam and Blaine, moving on through old favourites for the New Directions - _Love Shack, Mamma Mia _and _Just can__'__t get enough _were sung by the same people that had sung them before, the floor filling with people as they began to dance. When Kurt announced that the next song was one for the older New Directions, one that only Mr Schue had ever seen them perform, I took a while for people to realise what he meant. As the first strains of _The Time Warp _began, Blaine joining in enthusiastically on the piano, the room lit up. By the end, even the normally restrained Wes was dancing along. Then there was a first time performance of something new by Rachel - a song she had heard and liked, with a more modern beat - _Pumping Blood_ - got everyone on the floor. And so the evening progressed, much hilarity ensuing when during a performance of _Toxic_ by the Unholy Trinity, Nick, Jeff and Sebastian were caught doing there own version of the dance moves. It was a sight that no-one could forget, as much as they tried.


	38. Come fly with me

**Come fly with me**

It was just after midnight when Santana spotted that Brittany had vanished, along with Kurt and Blaine. For some reason, this made her feel uneasy. She sought out Finn to see if he knew where they might be. When he replied coolly that he thought that they had headed up to the roof, she panicked. All week, Brittany had said that she couldn't wait to join her unicorns. Now, she was several stories up with them, on the roof of the building. With a touch of fear, Santana found herself running up the stairs, dreading what she might find at the top.

She heard Brittany long before she could see her. She was squealing, either in fear or delight. On flinging open the roof door, Santana could not see her. The rooftop was completely empty, yet she could still hear the girl she loved. "Look up," came Blaine's voice, suddenly at her side. She did, and what she saw left her stunned and speechless. There was Brittany, clinging tightly to Kurt's hand, as they flew through the dark November sky. Flying. Brittany was flying with an angel, her face lit up with joy and exhilaration as they swooped and soared high above the streets.

"What if someone sees, Blaine? All it would take would be one person to look up and call the cops…"

"No-one would believe anybody that did call - they'd assume it was just another crank, either drunk or high. Trust us, this is safe."

Santana had, without realising it, taken Blaine's hand as she watched the scene above her. It was only when she noticed that Kurt and Brittany seemed to be getting closer that she became aware that her own feet were no longer firmly planted on the rooftop. She turned to Blaine, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, with a look halfway between fear and delight. "This was the easiest way to get you up here too. Look on it as a thank you for your help tonight and for being a good friend. You're safe as long as you hold on, so just relax and enjoy…" With that Blaine took her into a swooping dive. The force of the air, the unusual feeling of virtual weightlessness made Santana scream - not in terror, but in pure delight in the ability to defy gravity.

She felt a sense of freedom unlike anything she had felt before. All her worries and anxieties seemed to vanish as she was pulled through the air - the Wendy to Blaine's Peter Pan. Better still, she would be able to discuss the experience with Brittany, as she was experiencing it too. Suddenly, she found that they were flying alongside Kurt and Brittany, close enough for her to reach out and take her hand. The feelings only intensified as she and the girl she loved and adored soared hand in hand above the busy Manhattan streets. If the others could see her now, they would never believe it, unless they witnessed it for themselves. Glancing back at the rooftop, she saw that Sam and Rachel were doing just that.

It had been Finn that had asked them to follow him up to the roof, where they now stood wide eyed and entranced. It was even less believable than a room full of people suddenly having the ability to see angels. After a period that seemed like hours, but was only minutes, Kurt and Blaine brought the two girls back onto the roof. No sooner had they landed than Finn grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her into the air with him. Blaine was offering his hand to Sam, with a quirk of his eyebrows - the gesture was accepted willingly and Sam too vanished up into the sky. This left Kurt to turn to Santana and say "Take Brittany back to the party - and can you ask Puck and Quinn to come up? They can have the next turn…"

Thus began the process of three angels taking their friends for a brief flight above the streets of New York. New Directions and Warblers alike, all got their moment to soar like a bird above the city streets. Everyone's reaction was different - Tina, Nick, Jeff and Sugar squealed and shouted with excitement just as much as Brittany had; some took the experience with a wide grin; others with an initial fear which they quickly lost, in the case of Wes, as soon as he allowed himself to open his eyes. For one person, the event was a life changing moment that nobody could have predicted. They had not anticipated that as Finn pulled Artie up into the air, he would for those few minutes as they flew feel his legs, as if the accident had never happened. The small man cried with delight as he soared, the whole thing being witnessed by Puck and Mike, who had between them carried Artie up to the roof. It left them shocked and silent. Suffice to say, once Finn realised what had happened, Artie was given a flight far longer than anyone else's.

The majority of the older guests at the party declined the chance to fly, with a few notable exceptions. Isabelle took up Kurt's invitation and flew through the air with him in a state of childlike wonder. Cooper larked about with Blaine, forcing his brother to swoop lower and lower as he yelled in delight. To everyone's amazement, Sue took up the tentative offer to experience a flight through the dark skies with Kurt on one side and Blaine on the other. The sound of Sue laughing in a less maniacal way than usual was almost unsettling to those that bore witness. It was the first time that anyone could remember seeing her genuinely happy.

Then those moments of flight were over. It was now approaching 2am, and people were starting to realise that the good time was nearly over. The time was coming when the three angels they had known, and the fourth that they all knew so much about, but had only just met, would return to their supernatural state - visible, but untouchable. In recognition of this, Elizabeth once again cleared her throat and made the room fall silent. "In the normal state of affairs, a large pile of gifts for the happy couple should have, by now, built up. I'm aware that such things are impossible in the circumstances, so we have decided to reverse the formula. Therefore we have a gift for each of you."

She nodded to Kurt, who continued. "If you look down, on the table in front of you, everyone should see a small box. It contains a ring of a unique design; a gold band with a small feather held upon it. The feather is an angel's wing feather, taken from the downy layer in the very centre of the wings. Each of the feathers comes from one of the three of us. For the older members of the New Directions, most of you have a feather from Finn, the exceptions being Mercedes, Santana and Brittany, who have a feather from me; and Sam, who has a feather from Blaine. He also has provided the feathers for the five newest members of the New Directions, and for Wes, David, Thad and Sebastian. As for me, I have Nick, Jeff and Trent, along with most of the older friends gathered here - with the exception of Carole, who naturally has a feather from Finn."

Blaine then took over. "Essentially, the angel who's feather you receive is your guardian angel. We will be watching over all of you at all times, so you should always be on your best behaviour. Having said that, if you need our help, we will be straight there to give what aid we can to you. There are certain things we cannot do - we can't punish other people who you might have a grudge against, nor can we prevent your death if it is your time. When that does come, we will be waiting for you, in all probability as a group, to guide you through the difficult hours immediately afterward. Trust me, you will need someone, especially to be there as your wings grow. The pain that causes is the worst that I personally have experienced. Hopefully, we will not have to do that for any of you for many years to come."

By now, everyone had opened their box and were staring at the beautifully made gold ring inside. Thoughtfully, a matching chain had been provided for those that did not wish to wear their ring on their finger. "As long as you are wearing your ring, be it on your finger, or on its chain round your neck, you will be protected by ourselves and by all other angels," finished Blaine. He had barely finished speaking when he noticed that Wes was already put his ring on its chain, and was fastening it around his neck; everyone else following him in rapid succession. What was immediately noticed by all three angels was the way that Nick carefully placed the ring on Jeff's finger, the latter repeating his actions in return. It seemed to be a sign that they had something else on their minds.


	39. At Last

**At last**

As the majority of the room returned to their conversations, Nick and Jeff began to realise that they were under close scrutiny. It was Kurt that spoke first as he and Blaine made their way over to stand by them. "You won't steal our thunder, Nick, if you go ahead and do it. If anything, you will succeed in making today all the more memorable." Jeff looked puzzled at the statement, but Nick did not; he just blushed all the more. "We angels do know everything, so just head over to the stage and do it!" said Kurt. He then darted back there himself, and called out to the room. "Everyone, can I have your attention again please. Nick has something he needs to say, with our blessing."

Blushing furiously, Nick made his way over to the stage, bringing a confused looking Jeff with him. Once they were there, Blaine made his way over to Nick and whispered "You know that you want to do this. To make it official to the world. Don't put it off any longer, as you never know what might happen."

Nick turned to Jeff, who still looked puzzled as to what was going on. The moment that Nick turned to him and sank down on one knee, however, he knew, as did everyone else. "Jeff, I know that I only came to my senses in our final week at Dalton, when I suddenly realised that I could not live without you. Since then, I have come to love you more each and every day, I don't want to ever be without you. So I've come to this conclusion. Jeff Sterling, live is too short, so will you marry me now so that we can spend as much of our lives together as possible?" As he finished, he pulled a small box from his pocket, and opened it to show a simple silver ring.

There followed a moment of tense silence, before the blond boy nodded and said "Yes please Nicky." To the sound of cheers, the loudest of which came from Wes, Nick placed his ring on Jeff's finger.

As a tidal wave of Warblers engulfed a happily embracing Nick and Jeff, to offer their congratulations, sweeping Blaine up in their path, a sad looking Brittany approached Kurt. "It's nearly time for you to go now. I know that I will still see you from time to time, but I will miss you being here. I miss my unicorns so much…" She began to tear up as the last words came out.

Instinctively, Kurt took her into his arms and gave her a hug. "Even though I won't be able to do this for you, I will always be around. Without you, none of this would have been possible. You are so special to all of us, and sometimes I don't think you realise that."

Having freed himself from the puppy pile of Warblers, Blaine made his way over to Sam, who was sitting next to Artie; both had a distant, sad expression on their face. "Hey Sam, I have to go soon, so I think that I need one final Blam hug - but let's make it extra special and make it a Blamtie hug instead." With those words, he pulled both boys into his arms. "I need you to watch out for Sam for me, Artie. He tries to be so strong for everyone all the time, but he needs to break down every so often, like we all do. And vice versa. Now dry up any tears, because I think we have time for a few more songs before we have to go. Songs to celebrate our past, and look to our future."

Finn was being kept occupied by a combination of Rachel, Puck, Quinn and Carole, none of whom wanted to leave him alone for a moment. So it fell to Kurt to get a final burst of music started - with a brief word to Elliot and Dani, he announced a final performance from One Three Hill of _The Happening_, the lyrics of which seemed quite appropriate for the situation, Kurt having been taken out of his world abruptly. Blaine sat on the edge of the stage as they sang, pointing to himself and nodding for much of the time that Elliot and Dani sang, the latter causing much hilarity. Rachel and Mercedes then demanded one final joint performance of _Defying Gravity_ - Kurt arguing that he should win purely on the grounds that he could now actually defy gravity and fly.

Blaine meanwhile had been cornered by Wes, who also wanted a last ever chance from him. He agreed, but with an added twist. Thus came the Dalton Academy Warbler's last ever performance with Blaine as lead singer - a performance of _Raise your Glass._ The first verse was performed by the nine Warblers present. Then at the first chorus, Finn, Puck, Sam, Artie, Mike, Rory, Joe, Jake and Ryder joined in, to faked looks of horror from the Warblers. These looks were nothing compared to those given at the second chorus when Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Marley, Kitty and Unique appeared. It all blended well, the fake anger at the 'dirty little freaks' from McKinley making the audience burst out laughing. By the finish of the song, it was 3am.

Two final songs were sung before the time came for the angels to leave. Blaine and Kurt were joined in a performance of _Just the Way You Are_ by Sam, Rachel and Santana, a throwback to one night in spring that year, when they had all been in New York at the time of Blaine's NYADA audition. When Santana pulled out a hairbrush to use as a microphone, as she had done that day, everyone in the room smiled and chuckled with delight. Then it was time for the last song of the night. There could of course be no other choice. A final rendition of the New Direction's signature song, _Don__'__t Stop Believing. _It was sung with heart, soul and more than a tinge of sadness, because it marked the end of a miraculous night when angels appeared on earth, and old friends were reunited. Tears began to fall as Finn sang at the opening, and kept falling.

Then it was time. Elizabeth called Finn, Kurt and Blaine to her side, and said "Ladies and Gentleman, I'm afraid that this is the time when we must leave. You will all still be able to see us, and if you need us, we will be there as soon as possible. The difference is that you will not be able to touch us again; we will have reverted to being supernatural beings, spectres in the human world. You have all had the opportunity tonight to hold us again - you will not be able to do so again on this plane. We have a few moments left - so boys, you can each chose someone to give a final hug to. Just one person….

Everyone knew exactly who was going to get those final hugs - there was no contest. Finn took his mother in his arms and held her tight, tears running down her face as she sobbed. Kurt was in a similar position with Burt, albeit he was the one sobbing in his father's arms. As for Blaine, he and Cooper sobbed just as much as each other as they held each other in a tight embrace. Around them, hearts began to break and tears fell once more - Puck and Quinn putting on brave, but tear stained faces, an arm wrapped around each other; Rachel sobbing alongside Brittany, both of them held in Santana's arms; Sam with his face buried in Artie's shoulder in a vain attempt to hide his sobs; Tina and Mike holding each other tightly, in an identical position to Nick and Jeff, and for that matter, Trent and Rory, no longer hiding their attraction to each other. The rest of the Warblers were gathered around Wes, all in equal states of distress. Even Sue could not hold back her tears, and let them flow freely.

And then, as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone. Burt held onto a distraught Carole, and Cooper was pulled into an embrace by Sam. There was a strange feeling in the room - there was real joy in the fact that they had witnessed Kurt and Blaine's wedding, and that they knew now that they were happy, and reunited with Finn and Elizabeth. At the same time there was an overwhelming sense of loss, stemming from the fact that they were not physically around anymore. The knowledge that this might be the last time that they saw them as a group was also a discomforting thought. Until of course they all began to remember that there would be one more occasion when that did occur - Hunter Clarington's trial.


	40. Consummated

_This is the penultimate chapter of the first part of the story.. Thanks to all of you that are still reading._

**Consummated**

At the same time as the tears were flowing at the Spotlight Diner, Elizabeth found herself dealing with three young angels in floods of tears. Finn was crying for Rachel and his mother, missing them as much as he knew they would be missing him. Kurt clung to Blaine as they cried for Burt, Cooper, Sam; for everyone that they loved and cared for. "Would it have been better not to have gone back?" said Kurt, voicing out loud what all three of them were thinking. "If they had not seen us again, then all the raw grief and emotion would not have been brought back for them"

Blaine thought for a moment, then said, "That's true, Kurt, but in the end they will stop grieving and start to realise that we are happy and we are together. In the end, that will make them happy, I should think, Mr Hummel-Warbler." Kurt looked up with a smile at Blaine as he said that. With a subtle movement of his eyebrows, Blaine added, "You do realise that this is our wedding night…"

As Elizabeth laughed, and Finn put his fingers in his ears and muttered about not needing to know about that, Kurt looked intently at his husband. His husband. Finally they were united in the way they had always wished for, fearlessly and definitely forever. Never to be parted again for the rest of eternity. All things considered, it wasn't that bad. He had his mother, his step-brother and his Blaine. Yes, he missed his dad, Carole, his friends, New York; but he had three very important people here with him. And a job to do. They had the chance to create a place in heaven for all of them to come to when their individual time finally came. In the meantime, as Blaine had reminded him, they did have a marriage to consummate…

Back at the Spotlight Diner, people had begun to realise that it was nearly 4am and they should be heading home to bed. For having been host to such a massive party, the place was remarkably clean and tidy. It was Santana who made the first move towards taking the empty glasses to the kitchen; joined in her tasks moments later by virtually everyone else. There were a few exceptions - Emma had been given strict instructions by Will to sit still and give herself and the triplets a break; and Nick and Jeff were far too much in love as a newly engaged couple to do anything other than sit and stare into each other's eyes.

Cooper also sat quietly, staring into space as Sam approached. "So, Cooper Warbler, did you like the surprise that I promised you? I'm sorry that I couldn't warn you about it in advance, but those were the rules."

"I still don't understand exactly how you even knew about it all, Sam."

"It was all down to Brittany, as Elizabeth said. She first saw Kurt, with Finn and Elizabeth, on the day of his funeral. She started to see Blaine on the day of his. My part in it really began on the day Blaine shot himself. The moment it happened, I felt it in my heart - it was as if part of my life had just stopped. Then on the day of Blaine's funeral, when I found his iPod, I heard his voice when I picked it up. It freaked me out no end - I thought that I was losing my mind. I told Artie about it, and he believed that it could be happening. I carried on hearing Blaine, when I was touching something that belonged to him - and once I started to wear his watch… Between me and Brittany, the ties were so strong that all that happened tonight was possible. It was all enough to bring them back."

"I'm so glad that those ties were there, Sammy. It still hurts so much that they aren't around anymore, but at least now I know that I will be able to see him and talk to him every so often. So in answer to your question, it was the best surprise ever. I just wonder what they are doing now….?"

"It's his wedding night, Anderson….so I'll give you a guess what those two should be doing…" Sam and Cooper looked at each other, then turning to face Puck, burst out laughing. "Then again," he continued, "maybe angels don't get it as much, if at all. We should have asked them."

As if to answer the question, Finn suddenly reappeared in front of them, in the process of taking his fingers out of his ears. "I think that answers your question, Puck," said Sam. "Finn never could stand the idea of Kurt and Blaine having…"

"I came here to get away from that kind of talk guys….so stop talking about it. Can I spend the next few hours with you guys? Please?" Sam, Cooper and Puck looked at each other. The word 'hours' told them more than enough about what the newlyweds were up to.

In the end, many of the guests at the wedding ended up at the new Bushwick loft. The Warblers had intended to stay with Nick and Jeff, but as they were busy 'celebrating' their engagement, Wes, David and Thad ended up in the new loft, in sympathy with Finn. Sebastian was forced out by Nick and joined them. Trent and Rory on the other hand were making enough noise of their own in the second bedroom to stay. Cooper was in the process of giving an acting lesson to those New Directions who had not been around for his first - the newbies could not understand why Puck and Quinn had cracked up when Santana had said he would give them some good pointers… Sam and Rachel ended up talking quietly together, both realising that Finn had given them the ok to pursue a relationship that they had not even contemplated until he had put the idea clearly in their heads. They had both come to the conclusion that they liked the idea, but should take things slowly…

In a comfortable bed in the afterlife, Kurt and Blaine rested side by side in the afterglow of 'our first married sex'. They were looking now to the future and the work they had ahead of them. "We need to get our own place sorted," said Kurt. "I mean, I love Finn and staying here with him is great, but…"

"Awkward when we want to have moments like these, and he feels obliged to disappear for hours on end," finished Blaine.

"So, our own space - a recreation of our loft in Bushwick, but with walls instead of privacy curtains?"

"With a door to the dorm corridor at Dalton, so we can have our special staircase, and easy access to the Senior Commons…"

"…which could also have a door to the Choir Room at McKinley, and thus a link to Finn's Lima based world."

"Of course," said Blaine, "we can take our Bushwick loft interior and set it down in any part of New York - like Greenwich Village."

"Where we always longed to be, but could never afford. We could even make it just a couple of blocks from that nice club that we found."

"It might be a bit empty unless we advertise it…"

"That's true. Do you know, that is the main regret that I have about all of this. We died far too young, before we had a chance to really live; to get out there and be ourselves."

"And we are never going to be dads to Hepburn and Tracey now. That makes me sad and not just me - Quinn was thinking about that tonight - I could tell."

"There isn't anything that we can do about all of this though. What has happened cannot be undone. We just have to deal with it. The main thing is that, in spite of everything, we are together, and that is so important. We will always have each other." With that Kurt turned to his husband and kissed him, before pulling him into a warm embrace in which they both fell asleep.


	41. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

By the time Christmas came around, life was slowly starting to return to normal for the friends of Kurt and Blaine. Almost. There were still moments when they caught themselves thinking "If only…" but they were fewer and further between. They had returned to the various parts of the country that their lives had taken them to, with some notable exceptions. Cooper had announced that he had no intention of returning to LA - for him, the City of Angels was now the one where his brother had been married - New York. He had begun to look for an apartment, with help from Sam. The latter's life had also been greatly changed two days after the wedding, when he had received a phone call asking him to a meeting at NYADA. When he arrived, he found himself sitting outside Carmen Tibideaux's office with an equally curious Santana and Sebastian. What had transpired that afternoon had left them all speechless. They had all been offered a spot at NYADA, based on their performances at the funerals and the wedding. They had all accepted - but had asked to delay their start date until after the following summer. They were aware that they had something else to keep them busy at the start of the year.

It had been unspoken, but there was a general consensus that they would spend Christmas apart, each celebrating with their own family and friends. Those closest to the boys had decided to spend New Years together in New York. The largest gathering therefore on Christmas Day was at the Hummel's, were Burt and Carole were joined for lunch by Cooper and Rory; and unexpectedly by Nick and Jeff, whose parents had been less than pleased with the appearance of an engagement ring firstly on Jeff's finger and subsequently on Nick's. Both were confident that their families would come round eventually, but rather than antagonise them over the holidays, they had elected to spend Christmas together. Their original plan had been to spend it at Bushwick, but when Sam had mentioned it to Burt on the phone before he himself left New York for his family in Kentucky, he had been appalled at the idea of the two boys spending the day alone. So there were six for lunch, with four angelic guests flitting in and out. Their day had been very busy, with the three boys having had to go from place to place visiting everyone; not to mention having to go and scare Hunter and ruin his day. The afterlife was proving hectic for them all, what with having to build from scratch their own environment, and having duties to perform on behalf of the angelic council. It was no surprise to anyone when they found the three of them fast asleep on the sofa.

On New Year's Eve however, they could finally take some time to relax. That special night found a large group of their friends standing together in Times Square, all eyes fixed on the ball high above them, around which, only visible to them, flew three special angels. This was the best place for them to stay, given the huge crowds in the square below. They watched as their friends laughed and joked as the last seconds of what had rightly been described as the worst year ever counted down. Sam stood with Cooper on one side, and Rachel on the other. His new big brother and his best female friend. Puck and Quinn stood next to each other, hand in hand, their love for each other growing stronger. Santana had her arms wrapped tightly around Brittany, standing next to Mercedes and Artie. Mike and Tina also stood together, fooling nobody with the statement that they were just friends. Wes stood and watched proudly over the Warblers, with David, Thad and Sebastian at his side. He smiled happily at Nick and Jeff, who were in the same position as Santana and Brittany, and at Trent, holding Rory's hand, eyes only for each other; an honorary Warblers badge pinned on the latter's lapel.

They all counted down the seconds and erupted in a cheer as the ball fell and the New Year began. As hugs and kisses were traded, Wes batting away Nick and Jeff half-heartedly as David laughed at his side (he soon stopped when Wes grabbed him and planted a kiss on his cheek) they began to look forward. To the one potential dark spot in the future - the trial. An event which would force them to relive the worst days of their lives all over again.

_So ends the first part of the story. I am working on the next instalment at the moment - it will be centred around a few weeks in early spring when Hunter is placed on trial at the New York Criminal Court. When I do post Unicorns & Angels: The Trial it won't be on such a regular basis as this one, for which I apologise. And there will be a final part to the story to follow..._

_In the meantime, I have a little story related to this one which I might just share - related to Nick coming to his senses in the last week at Dalton - if you want me to..._

_Thanks for reading and your support in the meantime._


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